Suicide rates in the US have reached a 30-year high

American Indian women and middle-aged white women saw the sharpest increase

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Suicides have hit a 30 year high in the US according to a study performed by the Center for Disease Control.

The National Center for Health Statistics released their report Friday, which showed that suicides increased nationally at 24 per cent. They found that the rate rose from 10 per 100,000 people to 13 per 100,000 — the highest the national suicide rate has been since 1986. The pace of increase became greater in 2006.

Middle-aged Americans experienced a sharp increase during the sampled time period. Suicide rates among middle-aged women (45 to 64) increased the most since 1999, at 64 per cent, while men in the same age range rose by 43 per cent.

While suicides by firearms decreased between 1999 and 2014, it was still the leading method used by men at 55.4 per cent — compared to the 61.7 per cent 15 years prior. Firearms contributed to approximately one third of female suicides at 31 per cent, according to the report, making it the second most common method.

CDC

Poisoning fell for both men and women. But the study found that suffocation — including hanging, strangulation, and suffocation — became more common.

Among racial and ethnic groups, American Indian suicides increased dramatically — with the rates of women rising by 89 per cent, while men rose by 38 per cent. White women saw an increase of 80 per cent.

“We applaud the CDC for taking a closer look at the data related to suicide, as this is critically important to health care issue that deserves our full attention,” the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said in a statement. “[W]e were very troubled to see the rate increasing remarkably for people between the ages of 45 and 64, for both men and women.”

CDC

The AFSP called the study just “one cross sections” of the information needed to fully understand suicide in the US.

“We have seen that targeted efforts can reduce suicide rates and many of these can be expanded for wider impact and more lives saved,” they added. “As a nation, we need to invest our time and resources in such prevention efforts. The lives of millions of Americans depend on it.”

Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.