Statistics
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, with 45,979 deaths in 2020.
CDC reports that suicide rates increased by 36% between 2000-2018.
Then declined by 5% between 2018-2020.
And then went back to peak rates again, in 2021.
Males commit suicide more often than females.
In 2019, the global suicide rate for men was twice the figure for women. Male suicide being 12.6 per 100,000. Female suicide being 5.4 deaths per 100,000.
A western European nation with an exceptionally high suicide rate is Belgium, with 18.3 suicides per 100k.
Wyoming is the US state with the highest suicide rate. Alaska is next.
Folks over 85 years old commit the highest rate of suicides in the US.
The incidence of teen suicide is rising. Results from the 2019 Youth Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System show that 18.8% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide and 8.9% actually attempted suicide.
More than half of physicians report feeling “burned out” in 2023 and nearly 1 in 4 doctors report feeling severely depressed — the highest percentages in 5 years, according to the 'I Cry but No One Cares': Physician Burnout & Depression Report 2023.
Terrorism & Euthanasia
As terrorism rises, so does its fallout. A young woman, Shanti, was euthanized due to non-treatable severe depression secondary to terrorism. She was 23 years old.
Six years earlier, on March 22, 2016, Shanti had been at Brussels Airport when terrorists set off bombs. She was not physically injured, though deeply traumatized by the attack. Treating her with 11 anti-depressants/daily didn’t work.
Ultimately, she chose to be put to death, surrounded by her family.
I wonder what her Vitamin D levels were.
I wonder what all these victims of suicide, blood levels of vitamin D were.
Why Vitamin D?
Oral vitamin D supplementation almost halved the rates of suicide and intentional self-harm in a newly published study of US veterans, with an even stronger effect among Black veterans. (Darker-skinned persons have less ability to activate vitamin D from the sun, secondary to darker skin pigment.)
This retrospective cohort study showed:
Higher daily vitamin D supplement dosages appeared to offer greater protection against suicide and self-harm risk than lower doses,
The effect was greater among those with baseline vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, and
Both pharmaceutical vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and over-the-counter vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplements were effective.
The authors of this study recommend:
"Providers may wish to initiate low-dose vitamin D supplementation, for example, at the US [recommended dietary allowance] level of 600 IU per day, without screening in patients with a history of suicidal behavior or ideation or who exhibit warning signs of suicidal behavior."
1/3rd Of Military Members Are Vitamin D Deficient
Approximately a third of US military members have been shown to have 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels below 20 ng/mL. (This is the present cut-off rate for identifying a vitamin D deficiency, though functional practitioners and some scientists like to see levels somewhat higher).
Vitamin D deficiency is particularly common among males as well as darker-skinned persons.
Military members and veterans have elevated suicide attempts and suicide rates.
It has also been shown that vitamin D is a potential supplement for depression. Those who are more severely depressed had the best benefits.
Suicide Attempt Rate With Vitamin D Versus Controls Is "Dramatic"
Vitamin D2 supplementation was associated with a 48.8% reduction in suicide/self-harm risks, and vitamin D3 with a 44.8% reduction, both highly significant (P < .001).
Those risk reductions were similar between men and women.
The effect of supplementation was greater among Black versus White veterans, with suicide/self-harm attempt risk reductions of 57.9% versus 46.3%, respectively, for vitamin D2 and 63.8% versus 38.7%, respectively, for vitamin D3.
Those with a baseline deficiency (0-19 ng/mL) of vitamin D3 had a significant 64.1% reduction compared with untreated controls.
The more deficient you are in vitamin D, supplementation boosts your moods the best.
Each additional percentage point increase in average daily dose was associated with a 13.8% greater risk reduction. Statistically significant. Meaning greater than chance.
For veterans with baseline blood vitamin D levels of 20-39 ng/mL, while the overall association was not significant, vitamin D3 supplementation was associated with a significant 9.6% reduction in suicide attempts and self-harm risk for each additional percentage point increase in average daily dosage.
Those with vitamin D sufficiency (vitamin D blood levels ≥ 40 ng/mL), had no significant overall benefit with vitamin D2 or D3 on suicide/self-harm attempt risks.
You Should Get Your Vitamin D Levels Tested Every Year
Blood levels should be above 40mg/mL if not closer to 70 ng/mL.
If you are battling a serious illness, you may need more but should supplement under the supervision of someone who knows this vitamin science.
Knowledge is power.
What a stunner, if many who we lose tragically to suicide could have been saved if their vitamin D levels were insufficient or deficient, and they were repleted by simple and inexpensive vitamin D supplementation!
Dr. B.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html
The association between vitamin D serum levels, supplementation, and suicide attempts and intentional self-harm. PLoS One. 2023 Feb 1;18(2):e0279166. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279166. PMID: 36724169; PMCID: PMC9891532.
Vitamin D Supplementation Linked to Fewer Suicide Attempts - Medscape - Feb 01, 2023.
Interesting post. I had to request my doc add vit D to some labs, I could feel her eyes rolling thru the phone. Got lab results back but no vitD. Humm, there was, however, a calcium included to fulfill a routine “fractured bone” from fall. I tripped wearing new walking shoe rubber toe caught on wood flooring. Airborne...broke knee. As a long believer in healthy lifestyle, I knew if bones were weak I would have multiple breaks from that launch/impact. So again I am calling to get another lab for vit D. I told doc I need to know level because I take it daily as recommended with zinc, Quercetin, etc for last 3 yrs. Especially, even tho I live in sunny California I have been indoors more after surgery.
Thanks for article, I plan to share with friends who are resistant to supplements as well as my doc if she rolls her eyes again.
Wow....alarming statistics! Are those who live in sunshine states and southern countries with natural vitamin D from the sun less depressed? I live up north and purchased Happy Lamps for my depressed friends! 😊