ATLANTA (WJBF) – A new report from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities reveals suicide is the leading cause of death for young adults in the state, with more than 60% of those deaths occurring in the 20–24 age group.
The data also shows suicide is the second leading cause of death for children ages 10–14 and the third leading cause for people 15–24. In 2023 alone, 249 Georgians under the age of 24 died by suicide. Experts point to isolation, reduced adult oversight, and lack of routine as contributing factors.
“Sometimes there are those signs, but other times you talk to friends or families and they say they did not see it coming at all,” said Kevin Tanner, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. “It’s important to be a good friend, a trusted adult, and that person they can count on.”
Youth in single-parent households or unstable home environments are at greater risk. Tanner says the state is continuing to expand 988 crisis centers and mobile crisis teams that can respond anywhere in Georgia, 24/7.
Firearms remain the most common method of suicide among young men. While men are more likely to die by suicide, women are more likely to seek emergency care for self-harm. The report also found African American youth had the highest suicide death rate in 2023.
In the workforce, construction workers face the highest suicide rate in Georgia—165% higher than the state average—and have the highest rate of drug overdose deaths, with 743 suicides between 2017 and 2021.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
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