Healthy People 2010 is designed to achieve two overarching goals:

• Increase quality and years of healthy life.
  
• Decrease health disparities.

These two goals are supported by 467 specific objectives in 28 focus areas. Each objective was developed with a target to be achieved by the year 2010. Healthy People 2010 will be the guiding instrument for addressing these and emerging health issues, reversing unfavorable trends, and expanding past achievements in health.

Healthy People 2010 includes two objectives designed to reduce the suicide rate. These are:

• Decrease suicides from 11.3 suicides per 100,000 population to 5.0, and
  
• Reduce the rate of suicide attempts by adolescents.

Suicide is a complex behavior that can be prevented in many cases by early recognition and treatment of mental disorders. It was the ninth leading cause of death in the United States in 1996 and the third leading killer of young persons between age 15 and 24 years.[46], [47], [48], [49] At least 90 percent of all people who kill themselves have a mental or substance abuse disorder, or a combination of disorders. However, most persons with a mental or substance abuse disorder do not kill themselves; thus other factors contribute to suicide risk. In addition to mental and substance abuse disorders, risk factors include prior suicide attempt, stressful life events, and access to lethal suicide methods. Suicide is difficult to predict; therefore, preventive interventions focus on risk factors. Thus, reduction in access to lethal methods and recognition and treatment of mental and substance abuse disorders are among the most promising approaches to suicide prevention. More targeted approaches should consider risk factors most salient and appropriate for select populations.

The entire Healthy People 2010 document may be found at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/default.asp.