Category: Statistics

U.S. Suicide Rate Surges to a 30-Year High

4/22/2016

WASHINGTON — Suicide in the United States has surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years, a federal data analysis has found, with increases in every age group except older adults. The rise was particularly steep for women. It was also substantial among middle-aged Americans, sending a signal of deep anguish from a group whose suicide rates had been stable or falling since the 1950s.

The suicide rate for middle-aged women, ages 45 to 64, jumped by 63 percent over the period of the study, while it rose by 43 percent for men in that age range, the sharpest increase for males of any age. The overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent from 1999 to 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which released the study on Friday.

The increases were so widespread that they lifted the nation’s suicide rate to 13 per 100,000 people, the highest since 1986. The rate rose by 2 percent a year starting in 2006, double the annual rise in the earlier period of the study. In all, 42,773 people died from suicide in 2014, compared with 29,199 in 1999.

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By Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times

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How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives

4/18/2016

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When a young woman texted DoSomething.org with a heartbreaking cry for help, the organization responded by opening a nationwide Crisis Text Line for people in pain. Nearly 10 million text messages later, the organization is using the privacy and power of text messaging to help people handle addiction, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, sexual abuse and more. But there's an even bigger win: The anonymous data collected by text is teaching us when crises are most likely to happen — and helping schools and law enforcement to prepare for them.

By Nancy Lublin, Crisis Text Line
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Preventing Suicide: A Comprehensive Public Health Approach

9/22/2015

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Suicide is preventable and is a significant public health issue. In 2013, there were over 41,000 suicides in the United States – an average of 113 each day. Each suicide takes a substantial toll on individuals, families and communities. The medical costs and lost wages associated with suicide are estimated to be $51 billion per year. These numbers underestimate the severity of the problem. In 2013, over 494,000 people were treated in US emergency departments for self-inflected injuries. In addition, many more people struggle with thoughts of suicide. For every one suicide, there were over 229 adults who seriously considered suicide.

The risk for suicidal behavior is complex. People of all genders, ages, and ethnicities can be at risk for suicide but some groups are at higher risk than others. Men are about four times more likely than women to die from suicide. However, women are more likely to express suicidal thoughts and to make nonfatal attempts than men. In the past, suicide was addressed by providing mental health services to people who were already experiencing or showing signs of suicidal thoughts or behavior. While such services are critical, preventing suicide at a national level will require approaches that go beyond mental health issues to address broader family, community, and societal issues.

Please join us for this session of Grand Rounds as we discuss the strategies needed to promote broader awareness of suicide and the role that public health can play in identifying factors that reduce the risk of suicide, and in promoting actions and programs that protect people from engaging in suicidal behavior.

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Study on Workplace Suicide Rates, 2003 - 2010

5/1/2015

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New findings from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine show that workplace suicides are rising, particularly among protective service workers like law enforcement officers.

“The lines between personal and work life are shrinking,” said Hope Tiesman, PhD, a study author and epidemiologist with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Division of Safety Research. “We know that suicide is multi-factorial in nature; therefore, we need to take advantage of multiple opportunities to intervene in an individual’s life — including the workplace.”

This study looked at workplace suicide data from 2003 to 2010. Law enforcement officers and firefighters have a 3.5 times higher suicide rate compared to the overall U.S. workplace suicide rate. In those cases, the use of a firearm was most common.

By The Nation's Health, American Public Health Association - Article

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Mental Health Surveillance Among Children - 2005-2011

7/3/2013

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Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.

7/3/2013

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By TARA PARKER-POPE Published: May 2, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/health/suicide-rate-rises-sharply-in-us.html?hp&_r=2&

Suicide rates among middle-aged Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm.

More people now die of suicide than in car accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the findings in Friday’s issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In 2010 there were 33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes and 38,364 suicides.

Suicide has typically been viewed as a problem of teenagers and the elderly, and the surge in suicide rates among middle-aged Americans is surprising.

From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent, to 17.6 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 13.7. Although suicide rates are growing among both middle-aged men and women, far more men take their own lives. The suicide rate for middle-aged men was 27.3 deaths per 100,000, while for women it was 8.1 deaths per 100,000.

The most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rates jumped by nearly 50 percent, to about 30 per 100,000. For women, the largest increase was seen in those ages 60 to 64, among whom rates increased by nearly 60 percent, to 7.0 per 100,000.

Suicide rates can be difficult to interpret because of variations in the way local officials report causes of death. But C.D.C. and academic researchers said they were confident that the data documented an actual increase in deaths by suicide and not a statistical anomaly. While reporting of suicides is not always consistent around the country, the current numbers are, if anything, too low.

“It’s vastly underreported,” said Julie Phillips, an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University who has published research on rising suicide rates. “We know we’re not counting all suicides.”

The reasons for suicide are often complex, and officials and researchers acknowledge that no one can explain with certainty what is behind the rise. But C.D.C. officials cited a number of possible explanations, including that as adolescents people in this generation also posted higher rates of suicide compared with other cohorts.

“It is the baby boomer group where we see the highest rates of suicide,” said the C.D.C.’s deputy director, Ileana Arias. “There may be something about that group, and how they think about life issues and their life choices that may make a difference.”

The rise in suicides may also stem from the economic downturn over the past decade. Historically, suicide rates rise during times of financial stress and economic setbacks. “The increase does coincide with a decrease in financial standing for a lot of families over the same time period,” Dr. Arias said.

Another factor may be the widespread availability of opioid drugs like OxyContin and oxycodone, which can be particularly deadly in large doses.

Although most suicides are still committed using firearms, officials said there was a marked increase in poisoning deaths, which include intentional overdoses of prescription drugs, and hangings. Poisoning deaths were up 24 percent over all during the 10-year period and hangings were up 81 percent.

Dr. Arias noted that the higher suicide rates might be due to a series of life and financial circumstances that are unique to the baby boomer generation. Men and women in that age group are often coping with the stress of caring for aging parents while still providing financial and emotional support to adult children.

“Their lives are configured a little differently than it has been in the past for that age group,” Dr. Arias said. “It may not be that they are more sensitive or that they have a predisposition to suicide, but that they may be dealing with more.”

Preliminary research at Rutgers suggests that the risk for suicide is unlikely to abate for future generations. Changes in marriage, social isolation and family roles mean many of the pressures faced by baby boomers will continue in the next generation, Dr. Phillips said.

“The boomers had great expectations for what their life might look like, but I think perhaps it hasn’t panned out that way,” she said. “All these conditions the boomers are facing, future cohorts are going to be facing many of these conditions as well.”

Nancy Berliner, a Boston historian, lost her 58-year-old husband to suicide nearly two years ago. She said that while the reasons for his suicide were complex, she would like to see more attention paid to prevention and support for family members who lose someone to suicide.

“One suicide can inspire other people, unfortunately, to view suicide as an option,” Ms. Berliner said. “It’s important that society becomes more comfortable with discussing it. Then the people left behind will not have this stigma.”

A version of this article appeared in print on May 3, 2013, on page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Suicide Rates In Middle Age Soared in U.S..

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U.S. Suicide Rate Surges to a 30-Year High

How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives

Preventing Suicide: A Comprehensive Public Health Approach

Study on Workplace Suicide Rates, 2003 - 2010

Mental Health Surveillance Among Children - 2005-2011

Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.

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U.S. Suicide Rate Surges to a 30-Year High

How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives﻿

Preventing Suicide: A Comprehensive Public Health Approach

Study on Workplace Suicide Rates, 2003 - 2010

Mental Health Surveillance Among Children - 2005-2011

Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.

Author

Categories

Archives

How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives