People who are suffering with bipolar disorder are at greater risk for suicide when they are not getting proper treatment. According to the National Mental Health Association statistics, 30 to 70% of suicide victims have suffered from some kind of depression. Interestingly, men commit almost 75% of these suicides, even though twice as many women attempt it.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for suicide consist of:
Mental and substance abuse disorders.
History of mental or substance abuse.
History of physical or sexual abuse.
Previous suicide attempts.
Family history of attempted suicide.
Keeping a firearm in the home.
Pay Attention
If you are aware of a family member or close friend having an intention of suicide, it is recommended that you do not leave them alone and get immediate assistance from a doctor. People often talk about suicide before they really attempt it is of the utmost importance that you pay close attention to what they are saying.
Warning Signs
A few of the warning signs of suicide are:
Talking about suicide.
Always talking or thinking about death.
Making comments about being hopeless, helpless or worthless.
Saying "It would be better if I wasn't here" or "I want out".
Worsening depression.
Sudden switch (in people with bipolar disorder); one moment depressed, then happy.
Statistics on Manic Disorder
These are statistics available from the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
According to NIMH, Mental Health Disorders account for four of the top 10 causes of disability in developed countries like the US, UK and Germany. This includes major depression (known as clinical depression), manic depression (known as bipolar disorder), schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Around 22% of Americans aged 18 and older (about 44 million) adults - suffer from a diagnosable bipolar disorder in a given year.
Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time and according to one study, depressive illnesses tend to co-occur with substance abuse and anxiety disorders.
Around 9.5%, 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder or dysthymia annually.
Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from major depression compared to men but both men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder.
Major depression can develop at any age but the average age at onset is the mid-20s.
Bipolar disorder average age at onset (first manic) episode is during the early 20s.
More than 90% of people who commit suicide have suffered from a diagnosable mental disorder, which commonly includes a depressive disorder or a substance abuse disorder.
Caucasian men over age 85 have the highest suicide rates in the US. Though, suicide is also one of the leading factors of death in adolescents and adults ages 15 to 24.
More than 2.2 million American adults are affected by schizophrenia annually.
Schizophrenia first makes its presence felt in men during their late teens or early 20s; in women schizophrenia first appears during there 20s or early 30s.
More than 13% (19.1 million) American adults ages 18 to 54 suffer from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders consist of panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and wide array of phobias.
