Suicide rates in the United States climbed 24 percent from 1999-2014, according to a report released April 22 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. The numbers represent a near 30-year high for suicide throughout the nation.
“We’re concerned about people in every age category,” said David Westbrook, Chief Operating Officer for Lines for Life. “Suicide is the eight leading cause of death overall in Oregon, and the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24.”
Westbrook notes, “While the CDC doesn’t know the exact causes for the suicide-rate increase over the last 15 years, we do know it’s a largely preventable problem. We need better access to mental-health care across the life span. We need to de-stigmatize getting help and we need health-care providers, educators and even entire communities trained in suicide awareness and intervention.”
Key findings of the study, titled: Increase in Suicide in the United States, 1999-2014:
· Suicide rates rose from 10.5 per 100,000 residents, to 13.0
· The rate increased most significantly after 2006
· Suicide rates increased during the study period for both males and females, and for all ages 10–74
· Suicide rates held relatively steady for those over 75, but older Americans remain the age group most likely to die by suicide
· The rate rose 63 percent for women aged 45-64
· For men aged 45-64, the rate climbed 43 percent
(sharpest rise among male age-groups)
· The findings illustrate a 45 percent increase for suicides by women, and a 16 percent increase for men