Suicide, U.S.A: 13 states with most suicidal thoughts

Ever considered suicide? You have lots of company. A new government survey shows that 8.3 million Americans age 18 or older had serious thoughts about suicide in the past year. Eight million? That's almost 4 percent of the population. And the survey - based on data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 2008-2009 - shows that suicidal thoughts are a lot more common in some parts of the country than in others.

Which states lead the nation in what psychologists call "suicidal ideation?" Keep clicking for some surprises...

13. Ohio (TIE)

ohio,clevland, state, 4x3, generic — istockphoto

Which state kicks off the list of 13 states identified as having high rates of suicidal thoughts? It's a three-way tie. Ohio is one, with 4.5 percent of the population having had suicidal thoughts in the past year.

13. Missouri (TIE)

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 4.5

13. Washington, D.C. (TIE)

united states, dc, washington dc, cherry blossoms, monument — Flickr/Outi-Maaria Palo-oja

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 4.5

10. Indiana (TIE)

Indiana, state, 4x3, generic — istockphoto

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 4.6

10. Colorado (TIE)

colorado, state, 4x3, generic — istockphoto

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 4.6

8. Washington

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 4.7

7. Arkansas

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 5

6. Maine (TIE)

Maine, state, 4x3, generic — istockphoto

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 5.1

6. Wyoming (TIE)

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 5.1

4. Idaho

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 6

3. Rhode Island

rhode island, state sign, generic, 4x3 — iStockPhoto

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 6.2

2. Nevada

Nevada, state, 4x3, generic — istockphoto

Percentage with suicidal thoughts: 6.5

1. Utah

Where in the nation are people most likely to contemplate suicide? You're talking Utah. The state's license plates may read "Life Elevated," but the survey suggests Utahans are more down in the dumps than citizens of every other state - 6.8 percent of the population had suicidal thoughts in the past year.