About one million people (in US) attempt suicide a year and cost the nation $500 billion. How is this cost calculated and why is this figure so high ($500,000) for each attempt?
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Where I live if you “attempt or threaten” suicide you can be placed on a police hold and sent to the ICU of a local psychiatric hospital and placed under the care of the state.
A case worker is assigned to you and has to meet with you within 24 hours for an assessment. After that you are either deemed safe to return to society or you continue your hold for an additional 72 hours. In the case of the latter, the social worker meets with you again after the 72 hours, and determines whether you are fit for society. If not, you go to court and go before a judge to state your case with the case worker alongside you. At that point you are either released or “sentenced” to a stay at a long term “state” psychiatric facility.
No matter what the outcome, whether you are released after 24 hours, or get sent to a state facility, you pay nothing out of pocket because the state is responsible for you and therefore responsible for the payment. This is because you have no say in the course of action taken and you have no control over what happens next. I’m not entirely sure if this would add up to $500,000 a person but most stays at a “state” facility here are 30 days or longer, which I’m sure adds up.
ETA: I also have no idea what they charge for court fees when you have to go in front of a judge to state your case. But from what I’ve heard going to court is not cheap
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