U.S. Suicide Rates on the Rise

Traditionally the suicide rate in the United States was focused around teens, young adults and the elderly, and was steadily declining. However recently released statistics have indicated the suicides have increased over the period from 1999 to 2005, but specifically in relation to middle aged men and women.

The analysis was published by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine and quotes an increase in this demographical area. Specialists in this field are perplexed as the norm is usually not associated with this age group, due to relative security and emotional well being within the 40 to 64 year old age bracket. However, findings reveal an increase of almost 16% in this, what was traditionally known as, low risk age group. Of the affected group, a 16% increase in white male suicides and a 19% among white females. Suicide rates in African Americans rose but insufficiently to increase overall suicide rate among blacks, whilst the Asian and Native American suicide rates had remained the same of that period. Authorities have no definite reason or explanation of these latest findings and base commentary on speculation alone.

The spokesperson for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offered two possibilities for the marked increase, albeit of a speculative basis. She attributed the increase upon hormone replacement therapy cessation or refraining from this therapy, as well attributed to the current abuse of certain prescription pain killers. In relation to the HRT case, she stated that women become more susceptible to depression and potential suicide by refraining from or cessation of HRT. Some researchers link the possible cause being related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, once again speculatively.

A known cause of suicide is untreated or mistreated depression, and some professionals have called out for improved and more thorough screening for this killer condition. Data from the Centers for Disease Control revealed that the methods people utilised to take their own lives was changing. The most common method of suicide was found to be guns, which account for more than half the amount of suicides, it was found that hanging and suffocation had increased by an average of about 5%, accounting for 22% of suicide deaths, whilst an increase of poisonings by 2% accounted for 18% of these deaths.

The study did not include the effect of the increase of anti depressant usage, which the FDA had attributed suicidal tendencies teens and young adults that were using these drugs. A further unsubstantiated theory is the so called Baby Boomer  Hypothesis, which is based on an earlier study depicting that the Baby Boomers, which are individuals born between 1946 and 1964 were the least happy of all age groups interviewed in this study, which was conducted at the University of Chicago.

Although no real causes or specific reasons can be blamed or pinpointed on the suicide increases in the very specific demographic, it appears that a lot of industry specialists and researchers are of the general opinion that it is related to anti depressant, medication related or lack of sufficient depression diagnosis.

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