Gender appears to play an important role in suicidal behavior. Women attempt suicide almost three times as often as men. Yet, men die from suicide four times more often than women.

This disparity apparently occurs because men and women tend to use different methods to commit suicide. Firearms are the most common method used by men. Nearly 80 percent of all firearm suicides are committed by white males, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and these represent almost 60 percent of all suicides. Women are more likely to attempt suicide by the ingestion of poison (including drug overdoses). Depending on the lethal quality of the poison or drug used and whether immediate help is available, this method may result in death less often than suicide by guns. This may also account for the higher number of suicide deaths in men. In countries where highly lethal poisons are readily available or treatment resources are scarce, for example, female suicides outnumber males.  

Ethnicity also appears to be associated with suicide risk. American Indians and Alaskan Natives have the highest suicide rate. Whites are at a greater risk of suicide than blacks or Hispanics. Although still lower than that of Caucasians, new findings indicate that African Americans have a higher suicide rate than previously reported. The suicide rate for African Americans (especially young men), although traditionally lower than that of whites, began to increase in the 1980s, according to NIMH.

Adults age 65 years and older face a significant risk of suicide. Of all age, gender and race groups in the United States, white men over 85 years of age have the highest rate of suicide – six times the average national rate. In 2000, according to NIMH, adults age 65 and older comprised just 13 percent of the population in the United States yet accounted for 18 percent of all suicide deaths that year.

Young people can be especially vulnerable to self-destructive emotions. They often experience strong feelings of stress, confusion, self-doubt, fear and uncertainty. Divorce or family turbulence, social isolation, academic stress or moving to a new home or school can intensify these feelings. For many of them, suicide may appear to be a solution to their problems.

Thousands of young people commit suicide every year. According to the NIMH, suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds (after accidents and homicides), and the fourth leading cause of death for 10- to 14-year-olds. Furthermore, researchers estimate that there are between 100 to 200 suicide attempts for every successful suicide among adolescents. This is more than 10 times the corresponding for older adults. This may demonstrate that younger people may be more ambivalent about suicide.