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In a rather disturbing report, it was revealed that more than half a million adults in California seriously considered committing suicide last year. The revelations came through a study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

The study used data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).

According to the report in medical Xpress, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in California and on an average, 9 people kill themselves in the state every day.

"Suicide is complex and always devastating," said David Grant, the report's lead author and director of CHIS. "Our research identifies some populations that are at high risk of suicidal behavior, and our findings may help target prevention efforts and, hopefully, save lives."

The findings of the study revealed that among those at highest risk of suicide were gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. They were more than three times as likely (6.5 percent) as all adults (1.8 percent) to have seriously thought about suicide.

Among all the ethnic groups, American Indians and Alaska Natives were found to have the highest suicidal thoughts (6.2 percent). This was followed by people with disabilities due to a physical, mental or emotional condition being four times as likely (4.2 percent) among all those who reported having suicidal thoughts. Nearly 5 percent of smokers also had suicidal thoughts, the report said.

Among married and non-married adults, it was found that married people reported lower rates of suicidal thoughts (1.1 percent) than unmarried people (2.6 percent.)

Also included among adults with suicidal thoughts were those who were not receiving treatment they needed.

According to the report, about 2.1 percent of adults in California's northern and Sierra counties had seriously considered committing suicide last year and the findings tallied with the reported deaths by suicide based on 2009 vital statistics data.