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
Not sure this is correct for every state but if someone found dead a coroner or medical examiner need to involve to identify the cause of death. I imagine that would cost money since this means brain and liver has to be weighed, skulls to be cracked, rips to be opened.
Where did you get these stats from?
[removed]
I attempted suicide when I was a teenager. the 1 hour flight for life was half that $500,000 then add a week in the hospital + emergency neurosurgery it adds up quick.
Here’s the trick about “calculating the costs” of things that don’t have explicit costs. You can say whatever you want, it sounds authoratative 32
However it’s calculated, it’s a fucked up way to measure the severity of human suffering. The problem isn’t what it costs the country, the problem is that so many people in this country are so hopeless and have so little support that they take their own lives.
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
Here in Tampa many people commit suicide by jumping off the Skyway bridge, about 12 to 15 a year. Before they finally put up a fence they had a state trooper posted on each side most nights. When someone did jump they’d send out the coast gaurd helicopter, several boats. Even though bridge is 190 feet high some people would survive. Emergency crews would go to nearest boat ramp as well as top of the bridge. Shut down one of the lanes etc. This is probably more extreme end but im sure it wasn’t cheap everytime this happened.
Is it really that high given the cost of healthcare in the US?
I was just thinking too – I’m sure the debt owed by a person who commits suicide cannot be paid either. Certain methods of suicide can involve things like trains and other functions that lose money with delays and everything. Then there’s productivity loss, processing, and so much more.
Maybe suicide will actually be taken seriously with the desire for money in a capitalist society. Nevertheless, it’s pretty disturbing…
Latest Answers