Highest Annual Suicides In The US: New government statistics released Thursday show that about 49,500 people killed themselves in the United States last year. Although the organization that published the figures has not yet calculated the number of suicides for the year, available data show that suicides are more common in the United States now than at any time since the beginning of World War II.
Something is wrong. Christina Wilbur, 45, of Florida, whose son killed himself last year, said, “That number shouldn’t be increasing.”
“My son shouldn’t have died,” she said. “I know it’s hard, I really do. But we must be able to do something. Something we don’t do. Because what we’re doing now isn’t helping.”
Suicides are complicated, and other variables, such as rising rates of depression and inadequate mental health care, may be contributing to the current increase, experts say.
But according to Jill Harkavy-Friedman, director of research at the American Suicide Prevention Foundation, the widespread availability of guns is an important factor.
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The number of houses with guns has increased, and the success rate of suicide attempts with guns is much higher than with other methods. According to a new study from Johns Hopkins University, which analyzed early data up to 2022, the suicide rate among US residents using firearms reached a record in 2017. For the first time, researchers found that for the first time, the rate of suicide by firearms among black teenagers exceeded that of white teenagers.
“I don’t know if you can talk about suicide without talking about guns,” Harkavy-Friedman said.
After a steady increase since the early 2000s, the American suicide rate reached its highest point since 1941 in 2018. About 48,300 people died by suicide in the United States this year. In 2019, the course was somewhat reduced. In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it fell again. According to some experts, this is similar to the phenomenon of solidarity in the early stages of war and natural disasters.
However, the suicide rate increased by 4 percent in the same year. According to the latest statistics, the total number increased by more than a thousand to 49,449 in just one year, or almost 3 percent compared to the previous year. Preliminary information is based on death certificates issued in the United States and is almost complete; however, this may change significantly in the coming months as mortality data is revised.
Statics
The greater increase was in the older population. Death rates for those aged 45-64 increased by more than 7%, while those aged 65 and over increased by more than 8%. The CDC noted that the rate for whites in particular was alarmingly high.
Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer, noted that it is important to reduce stigma and other barriers that prevent middle-aged and elderly people from seeking help when faced with hardships such as losing a job or the death of a spouse. . The number of suicides between the ages of 25 and 44 increased by one percent. According to the latest statistics, in 2022 among 15-34 year olds, suicide will rise from the fourth place to the second cause of death.
Last year, nearly 50,000 Americans committed suicide. And the suicide rate is the highest since the Great Depression making it the highest annual suicides in the US.
Despite the grim data, many say there is still hope. A year ago, anyone in the United States could call 988 to reach mental health professionals through a newly created national emergency hotline.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is increasing funding for the Suicide Prevention Initiative. Health professionals say people are becoming more aware of the problem and can seek help.
In 2022, the number of suicides among young adults decreased by almost 8 percent. CDC experts believe this is due to a greater emphasis on addressing mental health issues in schools and other community settings.
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Suicide Rates increasing rapidly
However, that smaller number hides the misery of many families. Christina’s son, Cale Wilbur, died on June 16. He was 21 years old. He died at his home in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. Cale Wilbur became depressed after losing three close friends and his uncle to suicide. He and his mother had argued that terrible morning. His mother said she asked her son about his drug use. When he left her bedroom, he was armed.
“I asked him not to do it and to calm down,” she said. “He seemed to relax for a moment, but then he killed himself.”
Since then, she has struggled to tell anyone about Cale, including her family and friends, and describes her life as a “black hole” of emptiness and misery stating that it was the highest annual suicides in the US.
“There’s just this huge 6-foot hole all over the place,” he said. “Everything reminds me of what’s missing.”
Professionals are hard to find, and when you do, they can be quite expensive, he noted. She sought help from the 24/7 online forum Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors.
“There’s nothing like being around people who get it,” he said. The Science and Education Media Group of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute finances the Health and Science section of the Associated Press. AP is solely responsible for all information.
