This study provides added support to previous findings that a geographic disparity in suicide rates exists in the United States, with higher rates in less urban areas and lower rates in more urban areas and extends these findings to characterize suicide trends by urbanization level over time. Specifically, the current study found that suicide rates across all urbanization levels increased during the period 1999–2015, the gap in rates between less urban and more urban areas widened over time, and rates in medium metro, small metro, and non-metro areas increased at a more rapid pace beginning in 2007–2008.
Geographic disparities in suicide rates might be associated with suicide risk factors known to be highly prevalent in less urban areas, such as limited access to mental health care, made worse by shortages in behavioral health care providers in these areas.
Geographic disparities in suicide rates might be associated with suicide risk factors known to be highly prevalent in less urban areas, such as limited access to mental health care, made worse by shortages in behavioral health care providers in these areas.
RSS Feed