ATLANTA, GA – August 10, 2023 – More Americans committed suicide last year (in 2022) than ever before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that almost 50 thousand people took their own lives last year in the United States. Experts feel that this rise may be due to a number of factors including higher rates of depression and the limited availability of mental health services. The most frequent cause of fatal suicides is guns.
Last year’s suicide rate due to guns was at an all-time high, according to an analysis from Johns Hopkins University. According to Jill Harkavy-Friedman, the senior vice president of research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the main driver is the increased availability of guns. The availability of guns is greater because gun sales have recently increased.
Suicide by age group:
- The largest increases are in older adults, rising almost 7% in people ages 45-64 and more than 8% in people 65 and older. The increases may be due to losing a job or a spouse.
- Suicide has become the second leading cause of death in the 25 to 44 age group, up from number 4 in 2021.
- Ages 10-24 had more than 8% fewer suicides in 2022. The decrease may be due to improved youth mental health services at school
Programs to reduce suicides:
- Introduction of a 988-phone number and a more and expedited response call system, a stream-lined national suicide and crisis hotline, to facilitate a quick connection between despondent individuals and mental health specialists
- The CDC is expanding its funding of community suicide prevention programs and reducing stigma to ask for help
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org