--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every seventeen minutes in America…" description: "\"Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits suicide. Mostly, I have been impressed by how little value our society puts on saving the lives of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_america_every-seventeen-minutes-in-america-someo_25738.jpg" --- # Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits… ![“Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits suicide. Mostly, I have been impressed by how little value our society puts on saving the lives of those who are in such despair as to want to end them. It is a societal illusion that suicide is rare. It is not.” quote by Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_america_every-seventeen-minutes-in-america-someo_25738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_america_every-seventeen-minutes-in-america-someo_25738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/350/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_america_every-seventeen-minutes-in-america-someo_25738.jpg) > “Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits suicide. Mostly, I have been impressed by how little value our society puts on saving the lives of those who are in such despair as to want to end them. It is a societal illusion that suicide is rare. It is not.” [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suicide is far more common than society acknowledges, reflecting a collective neglect of those in deep despair. **In simple terms:** Society underestimates suicide prevalence. Key Takeaway Recognize and address mental health crises. Themes mental health societal neglect suicide awareness stigma public policy Mood somber urgent reflective Type statistical advocacy When to use this quote - clinical counseling - policymaking - community outreach - education programs - media reporting Key Concepts suicide statistics cultural denial healthcare access preventive interventions Practical Applications - mental health screening - suicide prevention campaigns Questions to Reflect On - What systemic changes could reduce suicide rates? - How can individuals support those expressing hopelessness? A Different Perspective Some argue that focusing on suicide rates may overlook other pressing health issues, but mental health is integral to overall societal well‑being. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Bipolar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bipolar/) [Commit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commit/) [Commits Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commits-suicide-331178/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Illusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusion/) [Impressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impressed/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Our society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-society/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Saving Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving-lives/) [Seventeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seventeen/) [Seventeen Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seventeen-minutes-411187/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) [Suicide Impressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide-impressed-411186/) [Suicide Rare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide-rare-411185/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [“High performers, its research concludes, work for fifty-two minutes and then break for seventeen minutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/high-performers-its-research-concludes-work-for-fifty-two-minutes-and/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [Most people, in committing a suicidal act, are just as muddled as when they do anything important under emotional stress. Carefully planned acts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-stengel/most-people-in-committing-a-suicidal-act-are-just-as-muddled-as-when/) [Erwin Stengel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-stengel/) > [“Once upon a time, there were two youngsters, a boy and a girl. Their families hated each other. But the boy snuck into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/once-upon-a-time-there-were-two-youngsters-a-boy-and-a-girl-their/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) > [Hitler gave us orders - and we believed in him. Then he commits suicide and leaves us to bear the guilt. He should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-keitel/hitler-gave-us-orders-and-we-believed-in-him-then-he-commits-suicide/) [Wilhelm Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-keitel/) > [“Does a man who commits suicide stab himself in ten—twelve—fifteen places?” he asked. Poirot’s eyes opened. “That is great ferocity,” he said. “It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/does-a-man-who-commits-suicide-stab-himself-in-ten-twelve-fifteen/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Tell me the manner in which a patient commits suicide and I'll tell you how he can be cured”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-rhinehart/tell-me-the-manner-in-which-a-patient-commits-suicide-and-i-ll-tell/) [Luke Rhinehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-rhinehart/) > [I'm not disparaging suicides when I call them weak, I'm pointing out that anybody who would consider doing a thing like that needs help.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-m-not-disparaging-suicides-when-i-call-them-weak-i-m-pointing-out/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [Relation commits suicide after trust's death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asad-ullah-habib/relation-commits-suicide-after-trust-s-death/) [Asad Ullah Habib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asad-ullah-habib/) > [“Nothing evokes the end of the world more than a man running straight ahead on a beach, swathed in the sounds of his walkman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/nothing-evokes-the-end-of-the-world-more-than-a-man-running-straight/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [Trickery succeeds sometimes, but it always commits suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/trickery-succeeds-sometimes-but-it-always-commits-suicide/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [No one commits suicide because they want to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/no-one-commits-suicide-because-they-want-to-die/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [Everyone's a hypocrite, you're all cyber bullying each other, it's all fun and games till someone commits suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-s-a-hypocrite-you-re-all-cyber-bullying-each-other-it-s-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The wife who submits to sexual intercourse against her wishes or desires, virtually commits suicide; while the husband who compels it, commits murder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-woodhull/the-wife-who-submits-to-sexual-intercourse-against-her-wishes-or/) [Victoria Woodhull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-woodhull/) > [Many people ask why a writer commits suicide. But I think that people who ask don't know the vanity and the nothingness of writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobo-abe/many-people-ask-why-a-writer-commits-suicide-but-i-think-that-people/) [Kobo Abe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobo-abe/) > [Ah cher ami, how poor in invention men are! They are They always think one commits suicide for a reason. But it's quite possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/ah-cher-ami-how-poor-in-invention-men-are-they-are-they-always-think/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More by Kay Redfield Jamison > [ “...even though \[my psychiatrist\] understood mor than anyone how much I felt I was losing--in energy, vivacity, and originality--by taking medication, he never was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/even-though-my-psychiatrist-understood-mor-than-anyone-how-much-i/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [When people are suicidal, their thinking is paralyzed, their options appear spare or nonexistent, their mood is despairing, and hopelessness permeates their entire mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/when-people-are-suicidal-their-thinking-is-paralyzed-their-options/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. 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It quickly came down to a choice between seeing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/i-decided-early-in-graduate-school-that-i-needed-to-do-something/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [When I'm talking about depression, I'm talking about the more severe forms of depression, and I think that conceptualising as a form of grief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/when-i-m-talking-about-depression-i-m-talking-about-the-more-severe/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [An ardent temperament makes one very vulnerable to dreamkillers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/an-ardent-temperament-makes-one-very-vulnerable-to-dreamkillers/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [the intensity, glory, and absolute assuredness if my mind's flight made it very difficult for me to believe once i was better, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/the-intensity-glory-and-absolute-assuredness-if-my-mind-s-flight-made/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [I wish I could explain it so someone could understand it. I'm afraid it's something I can't put into words. 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