CDC: 64.1 Percent of Violent Deaths in 2019 Were Suicides

Suicide rate was higher for males, among adults aged 45 to 54 years, and for AI/AN and non-Hispanic Whites

FRIDAY, May 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) — In 2019, most violent deaths were suicides, which occurred more often in males than females, according to research published in the May 20 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Rebecca F. Wilson, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the CDC National Violent Death Reporting System for 50,374 fatal incidents involving 51,627 violent deaths that occurred in 42 states and the District of Columbia in 2019.

The researchers found that 64.1 percent of the deaths were suicides, followed by 25.1, 8.7, 1.4, and

“Monitoring the prevalence of violence-related fatal injuries, defining priorities, and guiding violence prevention activities are essential parts of public health surveillance,” the authors write.