A Different Kind of Pandemic

• 5,000 young people die by suicide in the U.S. each year.
• 12 youth suicides per day
• 100-200 attempts for every one youth who dies by suicide
• 4x In the past 60 years, the suicide rate for 15- to 24-year-olds has quadrupled for males and doubled for females.
• 30% Three in 10 females said they seriously considered suicide in the past year.
• 52.2% increase in suicide rates for 10- to 24-year-olds between 2000 and 2021¹
• 5x U.S male youths die by suicide five times more than female youths, although attempts by females are three times as frequent.²

Post-Covid, the United States is facing another deadly pandemic – suicide. Suicides in the U.S. reached their highest number ever in 2022, according to recent government data. Suicides are more common now than at any time since data began to be collected at the dawn of World War II. After declining in 2019 and 2020, suicide deaths increased by approximately 5 percent in the United States in 2021 and another increase of 2.6 percent in 2022. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., with 49,449 people of all ages dying by suicide in 2022; millions more thought about, planned or attempted suicide. 

The CDC estimates that in 2021, 12.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million made a plan to die by suicide and 1.7 million attempted suicide. On average, one person in the U.S. dies from suicide about every 11 minutes. The suicide rate among males in 2021 was approximately four times higher than the rate among females. Males make up 50 percent of the population but nearly 80 percent of suicides.³

Especially troubling is the spike in suicide among young people. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24 in the U.S.⁴ Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.⁵

Risk Factors and Causes

The causes of suicidal thoughts and actions are often complex and multifaceted. A person rarely takes her life for just one reason. Contributing factors can include mental illness, substance abuse, chronic disease, childhood trauma, social loss, the loss of a job and a lack of treatment for mental health issues.⁶ Research has shown that ninety percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying — and potentially treatable — mental health condition.⁷ However, there is usually no single reason why someone takes his own life. All the above causes likely contribute in some degree to the spike in suicide among young people, but young people are especially susceptible to three. 

First, Dr. Carl Fleisher, who specializes in adolescent child psychiatry, notes that young people are particularly vulnerable to suicide because their prefrontal cortex – the brain’s executive control center – doesn’t fully develop until a person’s mid-20s. That makes young people more impulsive, Dr. Fleisher says: “They’re not going to weigh risks and consequences or values in quite the same way that older folks will.”⁸

Second, teens and young people often don’t have the same social and relational connections as older adults. The social isolation caused by the pandemic took a harsh toll on U.S. teen girls’ mental health, with almost 60 percent reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness, according to a current government survey. Anxiety and depression tend to be more common in teen girls than boys, and pandemic isolation may have exacerbated that. In short, young women and girls feel more alone and disconnected from others. 

Third, there is a social contagion to suicide dubbed the Werther Effect. This refers to the identified rise in suicide rates, especially among young people, following well-publicized reports of deaths by suicide of celebrities or other well-known figures. Social media is a major contributor to this as well with multiple accounts across platforms that promote suicide and offer guidance and resources for taking one’s own life.

Finally, Dr. Victor Fornari, the vice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry for Northwell Health, New York’s largest health system, noted that the drop in teen well-being coincided with the rise of smartphones. Although the technology’s full impact on adolescents’ mental health is still unknown, he said, there is “no question” of an association between the use of social media and the dramatic increase in suicidal behavior and depressive mood. “Kids are now vulnerable to cyberbullying and critical comments, like ‘I hate you’, ‘Nobody likes you,’” he said. “It’s like harpoons to their heart every time.” More girls than boys reported being cyber-bullied, according to the C.D.C. report, which found one in five girls said they had been the target of electronic bullying, almost double the 11 percent of boys.⁹

Biblical Thoughts on Suicide

How ought Christians to think about suicide? How are we to minister to those who are at risk to taking their own life or those who have lost a loved one to suicide? These questions can be broken into two broad categories – pastoral care and biblical truth. 

Pastoral Care

First, we must understand that the topic of suicide should be handled with sensitivity and compassion. This really is a life and death situation. For some it involves the complex emotions and despair of contemplating the ending of his own life. For others, the topic will drag up painful memories of a loved one lost to suicide. A kind listening ear and mutual hugs and tears are often all we can offer in these emotionally charged situations. 

Second, we must remember that each person’s story and situation are different. No two people find themselves confronted with suicide in the same way and for the same reasons. For some, a suicide will be the end of a lifelong struggle with mental illness. For others, it will be an exceedingly rash and self-centered decision. Suicide is complicated and happens for different reasons. Resist the urge to implement boilerplate solutions, trite aphorisms and “four easy steps” to make things better. 

Third, know when to get expert help. Most pastors are not trained counselors (this is even more so for other church members). If you are ministering to someone with suicidal thoughts connect them as quickly as possible to someone who has expertise and experience in this realm. The ideal situation is to have a trusted biblical counselor you can call on for help. Remember that 90 percent of suicide victims have a diagnosable and often treatable mental health issue. If you’re not qualified to handle that, find someone who is. 

Fourth, preach the gospel, always. On any given Sunday morning, the preacher may not know everyone who is listening and cannot know all the burdens and difficulties carried by those in the congregation. The gospel is a balm that offers hope and healing for all the brokenness of sin. Remind believers of who they are, the promises they have and the blessings that are theirs in Christ. The gospel is the power of God to salvation. It brings life from death. All of us need to hear the gospel daily. 

Fifth, be the church. Loneliness, isolation and a lack of strong relationships are factors in many suicides. When the church is functioning as it should, it will be a family who loves and cares for one another. It’s much harder for loneliness and isolation to flourish in a context of mutual love, accountability and encouragement. The grace Christ has shown to all of us should make our churches safe places to be honest and open about our brokenness and struggles. When the church is being who she is called to be, those struggling with suicidal thoughts will have a place to share those battles and find allies in the fight. 

What Does the Bible Say About Suicide?

Suicide is a sin.

While we wouldn’t lead with this in pastoral counseling or in conducting a funeral, it is one aspect of this difficult topic we cannot avoid. Suicide is self-murder. While there may be a few outliers where mental illness or injury removes a person’s mental faculties, in the vast majority of cases we are right to see suicide as a morally culpable and blameworthy choice. As Kevin DeYoung writes, “For centuries, the church has consistently viewed suicide as a violation of the sixth commandment. Self-murder is still murder. As John Frame points out in The Doctrine of the Christian Life, there are five instances of suicide in Scripture (Judges 9:52-54; 1 Sam. 31:3-5; 2 Sam. 17:23; 1 Kings 16:18-19; Matt. 27:3-5) and all of them are in a context of shame and defeat (p. 738). Likewise, when more noble characters ask God to take their lives, God never obliges (Num. 11:12-15; 1 Kings 19:4; Jonah 4:1-11). In the cases of Jonah and Job, God clearly views their self-destructive requests unfavorably.”¹⁰

Further, the Bible shows suicide to be sinful and wrong for the following reasons¹¹:

• Suicide is a sin against God as the Creator and Sustainer of life. It rejects God’s sovereignty and usurps his prerogative in regard to life and death (cf. Job 12:10).
• Suicide is a violation of the sixth commandment (cf. Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17).
• Suicide disregards the image of God and the sanctity of human life (cf. Gen. 1:26–27; 9:5–6).
• Suicide is poor stewardship of one’s body (cf. 1 Cor. 6:19–20).
• Suicide overlooks the value of human suffering (cf. Rom. 5:3–5; 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17–18; 12:10).
• Suicide demonstrates misdirected love and is injurious to others (cf. Matt. 22:36–39; Eph. 5:29).

Suicide is not the unforgiveable sin.

It is not uncommon to hear someone claim that suicide is the unforgivable sin. The thinking goes that it is a sin for which one cannot repent and ask forgiveness. Therefore, forgiveness cannot be granted, and the person dies in her sin. There are at least three problems with this line of reasoning. 

First, nowhere does the Bible say that suicide is an unforgiveable or unpardonable sin. Scripturally, the only sin said to be unforgivable is “the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 12:22-32; Mark 3:28-30). Whatever this is, the context of the passage makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is not talking about suicide.

Second, numerous instances of sudden death may bring a Christian into eternity before he or she had opportunity to confess and repent. What if a man angrily and sinfully fights with his wife, storms out of the house and has a traffic accident that takes his life? Is he now lost? Does this one sad, final act define his life and relationship with Christ? Common sense reveals that many, if not most, of us will die with sins of which we have not repented.

Third, while suicide is sinful and wrong, those who trust in Christ cannot be cut off from his love and forgiveness by causing their own death. As Sam Storms writes, “The Bible teaches that all sin — past, present, and future — is forgiven through faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One’s eternal destiny is sealed and set at the moment of justifying faith. Our depth of intimacy, fellowship, and joy is certainly affected adversely when we fail to confess and repent of daily sin. But our eternal destiny has already and forever been determined. We must recognize the distinction between eternal forgiveness that is ours the moment we embrace Jesus in faith, and that temporal forgiveness we receive on a daily basis that enables us to experience the happiness of intimacy with the Father.”¹²

While it is particularly sad for a Christian to die in this way, it does not necessarily mean the person was not a genuine Christian. As Kevin DeYoung reminds us, “We are saved by the blood of Christ, not by whether our last moment was triumphant or tragic. Suicide is unimaginably painful and displeasing to God. But for the truly repentant, truly believing, truly justified child of God, God is greater than our sins, even ones that grip us in our dying breaths.”¹³

What can we do to help people who are contemplating suicide?

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline suggest five steps to help safeguard people from the risk of suicide and support them when in crisis:¹⁴

Ask: Asking and talking about suicide may reduce rather than increase suicidal ideation. If someone’s behavior concerns you, have a caring and nonjudgmental conversation in private. Experts agree that you should directly ask if the person is considering suicide. Studies show this question doesn’t “put the idea” in a sufferer’s head, and in fact, most sufferers are relieved when someone brings up the topic. Suicide prevention begins with caring enough about one another to notice when something goes awry. 

Help keep them safe: Reducing a suicidal person’s access to lethal means is an important part of suicide prevention. Try to get your loved one to seek immediate help from his doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room. Remove any access he may have to firearms or other potential tools for suicide, including medications. Call 911 or the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Be there: Increasing someone’s connectedness to others and limiting her isolation has shown to be a protective factor against suicide. People struggling with suicidal thoughts are less likely to take their lives if they can identify a reason to live, especially if that reason involves relationships with others. People who are suicidal are often desperately lonely, and in fact, social isolation is a risk factor for death by suicide.

Help them connect: Individuals who called the 988 Lifeline were significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful by the end of calls. If someone is actively suicidal, do not leave him. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255, or text TALK to 741741 to connect to a crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line. Then, escort him to the emergency room. If possible, remove all lethal means within the person’s access. In the U.S., more than half of all suicide deaths are the result of firearms, and limiting access to methods of killing dramatically decreases suicide rates.

Follow up: After you’ve connected a person experiencing thoughts of suicide with the immediate support systems he needs, following up with him to see how he’s doing can help increase his feelings of connectedness and support. There’s evidence that even a simple form of reaching out can potentially reduce that person’s risk for suicide.

1. www.sccenter.org/programs-and-services/for-teens/teen-suicide-facts/
2. www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2023/03/03/youth-suicide-risk-increased-over-past-decade
3. www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/faqs-suicide-america-2023/
4. www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/disparities-in-suicide.html#age
5. www.uclahealth.org/news/as-suicide-rates-among-young-people-rise-there-are-ways-to-help
6. www.statista.com/topics/791/suicide/#topicOverview
7. afsp.org/what-we-ve-learned-through-research/
8. www.uclahealth.org/news/as-suicide-rates-among-young-people-rise-there-are-ways-to-help
9. www.nytimes.com/2023/02/13/health/teen-girls-sadness-suicide-violence.html
10. www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/four-brief-theses-on-suicide/
11. www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/faqs-suicide-america-2023/
12. www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/is-suicide-the-unpardonable-sin
13. www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/four-brief-theses-on-suicide/
14. www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention