A report from the CDC is confirming that levels of suicide in the United States are at the highest rate seen in decades. Many are taking it as the latest sign that public health issues in America may be getting worse.
The AP estimates that the current rates of suicide are the highest in fifty years. Data shows that 2017 saw at least two thousand more deaths than the year before. That was 2016, which saw suicide leap to the second primary cause of death for American from ages ten to thirty-four years old. It also became the fourth leading cause of death for Americans of middle age.
Suicide being on the rise has contributed in part to a drop when it comes to American life expectancy. If you live in the United States, you may be looking at 78.5 years of life on average. The expectancy levels have consistently fallen every year since 2016.
Even though suicide rates are rising, it isn't very common. Overall, when it comes to leading causes of death, suicide places tenth. Even though it could be classified as somewhat rare, the fact remains that it is still more prevalent than perhaps it ought to be.
What is causing the rise is not yet certain. The CDC has found that it may not necessarily be associated with general mental health. Over half of the individuals that committed suicide back in 2016 did not have any known problems with their mental health.
Researchers have discovered that the majority of the suicides that happen are instead linked to direct problems in their lives on a variety of topics. These could include relationships, health, substance use, finances, legal problems, family issues, or jobs.
This ties in to drug overdoses, another cause of falling life expectancy levels. In 2017, America saw over 70,000 deaths caused by drug overdose. It set records for the highest amount of any year in United States history. Overdoses and suicide combined have led to a significant increase in mortality among the population, in particular for Americans that belong to the so-called lower and middle classes.
The decline has been partly explained by what researchers term deaths caused by despair. That includes alcoholism, suicides, and overdoses from drugs. Some states with higher gun ownership do have suicide rates higher than other states. While more laws could lower suicide, the CDC also promotes the concept of social connection in addition to potential policy updates as being potentially helpful.
In USA Today, N.A.A.S. member Bob Turner said that suicide prevention ultimately needs to be tackled with the "same vigor" that is given to other issues of public health. If this is not done, he says that the amount of people that have suicidal thoughts or dying from suicide may only increase.
Suicide is rising, but can this trend be changed? Being aware of the risk factors and what's going on may help. If you are struggling with mental illness or feel that you have warning signs or see them in others, reach out and find resources that may be able to help you out.
