{
  "abstract": "Background: The systematic collection of population-level data on suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts is essential for effective suicide prevention and public mental health practice. Like many other countries, Germany lacks a surveillance system for non-fatal suicidal behavior.\n\nMethods: We analysed survey-weighted, representative data from 27,102 adults participating in the 2024 annual survey from the Health in Germany panel, a nationally representative population-based survey. Twelve-month and lifetime prevalences of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were estimated, and sociodemographic patterns and reported service contacts following suicide attempts (hospital including emergency department, police, crisis hotline/chat) were described.\n\nResults: In 2024, 6.0% (95% CI: 5.6%–6.4%) of adults reported suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months, and 18.0% (95% CI: 17.4%–18.7%) over their lifetime. Suicide attempts were reported by 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4%–0.7%) in the past year and 4.8% (95% CI: 4.5%–5.3%) over the lifetime, corresponding to approximately 399,050 (95% CI: 295,340–502,761) and 3,349,004 (95% CI: 3,044,451–3,653,557) adults in Germany, respectively. Higher prevalences were observed among younger adults and individuals with lower educational attainment and household income. Women reported a higher lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts than men. Among those reporting a suicide attempt, 41.5% (95% CI: 37.5%–45.7%) had contact with a hospital, 11.8% (95% CI: 9.0%–15.3%) with the police, and 9.8% (95% CI: 7.4%–12.9%) with a crisis hotline or chat service following their most recent suicide attempt, while 53.8% (95% CI: 49.7%–57.8%) reported no contact with any of the assessed services.\n\nConclusions: Non-fatal suicidal behaviour represents a substantial and socially patterned public health burden. Continuously collected survey data can form an important component of suicidality surveillance systems aiming to provide a timely evidence base for suicide prevention.\n\nKey messages: • Non-fatal suicidal behaviour is a substantial and socially patterned public health burden in Germany, highlighting the need for suicidality surveillance\n\n• Regular population-based survey data on suicidal behaviour can provide timely evidence for prevention planning and public mental health action",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "abstract",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "MA Gonzalez-Alvarez"
    },
    {
      "name": "J Talamo"
    },
    {
      "name": "C Schlump"
    },
    {
      "name": "M Fahrenwald"
    },
    {
      "name": "I Öztürk"
    },
    {
      "name": "A Meier"
    },
    {
      "name": "K Pöge"
    },
    {
      "name": "N Michalski"
    },
    {
      "name": "L Walther"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4x44xcbf7v98z.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.356",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13699448/",
  "id": "4x44xcbf7v98z",
  "issns": [
    "1101-1262",
    "1464-360X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.356",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "3. PARALLEL PROGRAMME"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00860"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02610"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3203|Suicide and Self-Harm Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223683763",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13699448/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13699448",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4x44xcbf7v98z.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:03Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13699448",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.356"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:34Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13699448",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13699448"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:3203|Suicide and Self-Harm Studies",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Suicidal thoughts and attempts in Germany: results from a national health survey",
  "title_text": "Suicidal thoughts and attempts in Germany: results from a national health survey",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:36:01Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4x44xcbf7v98z",
  "venue": "The European Journal of Public Health",
  "versions": []
}