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?

Question

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?

In: 221

Answer 1

Well, I dipped my toe into this to see if there was a straightforward answer. There is not.

The CDC page redirects you towards SAMHSA, who apparently collated this data. Their quick answer is that it’s medical costs (understandable) and lost work time (I get it, but still feels tacky to mention). I am going to assume medical costs include, not only physical rehab, but mental health care as well.