Why do you believe the suicide rate has increased as much as it has in the United States?

[CrazyDiamond04]

An article that I just read claimed that 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022 and that it was a record high number according to the CDC. Interestingly, the increase is mostly amongst people from 65+ (8.1% increase) and 45 to 64 (6.6% increase). Even more interesting, the suicide rate of people between the ages of 18 and 34 has actually decreased by 8.4%. Why do you think this is? I think people typically think of suicide as being a problem mostly amongst teenagers and young adults yet the rate for them has decreased despite Covid and everything else. What theories do you guys have about this? Here's a link to the article: https://abc7.com/nearly-50000-americans-died-by-suicide-in-2022-a-record-high-numb/13629806/

 

[tora]

I bet it's financial problems. inflation is so terrible right now, everyone in the working class has to slave their asses off just to make enough to pay rent and buy a few groceries. no matter how much I work it never seems to make me enough money, and I'm sure most other people are struggling with the same thing. if I was rich, I'd be able to pay away all my problems. money is 90% of the reasons I'm going to CTB. it feels like the future will never get better when the government will never agree to pay us more and employers will always treat us like shit

 

[CrazyDiamond04]

I bet it's financial problems. inflation is so terrible right now, everyone in the working class has to slave their asses off just to make enough to pay rent and buy a few groceries. no matter how much I work it never seems to make me enough money, and I'm sure most other people are struggling with the same thing. if I was rich, I'd be able to pay away all my problems. money is 90% of the reasons I'm going to CTB. it feels like the future will never get better when the government will never agree to pay us more and employers will always treat us like shit

I would have to agree. My grandparents made a lot of mistakes and ended up wasting money and not leaving much for retirement. Social security doesn't give you that much and they would be screwed if they didn't luck out and find out about a pension they didn't know they had. I think I'd throw divorce in there too.

 

[everythingblack]

Lack of compassion, COVID burnout, consumerism, mid-life and late life crises. I'm not sure about younger people, or what has happened in the last year to cause a decrease. personally I've felt more inclined to CTB over the years, not less. Maybe the older people have just exhausted all of their options, had false hope over the years, or some other tragedy/illness. I also agree with financial insecurity and inflation. Our society is truly getting sicker and change is afoot.

 

[exiled]

Can I just say that I think the biggest reason is how POOR our mental health system is? People really think they're doing something so helpful by sharing "resources" such as the suicide hotline phone number, and then feeling like they just saved the day like batman.

 

[CrazyDiamond04]

Can I just say that I think the biggest reason is how POOR our mental health system is? People really think they're doing something so helpful by sharing "resources" such as the suicide hotline phone number, and then feeling like they just saved the day like batman.

Yeah, the way it works in the US is terrible. Not much better anywhere else either.

 

[KarmaBus]

I would have to agree with financial hardships. It's probably 60% of my own reasons to seek CTB. Poor choices and trauma make up the other 40%. I used to have a 401k and a career. I lived independently for six years after my spouse passed away. Now, I sleep on someone's couch, I'm in debt from pandemic and inflation, and have been on the brink of homelessness twice in the past year. I'm tired. I've already worked 30 years, and according to SSI if I retire at 63 I'll get less than $900/month. It's bullshit.

 

[Archness]

The increased suicidallity is caused by the coming economic downfall in a world where materialism is everything, with not much else anymore (and this is probably only get worse until modern society crashes and burns).

The the youth is less effected then the older people, because they have the time to deal with a few bad-years and bounce back, but ppl who've already been working for 20, 40, maybe even more years, being sent back to square 1? At that point, It's Over.

When the world goes bad, those who've built up their lives shatter as it all falls down, while those who couldn't never had much to loose.

I don't rly know why youth suicides where lowered, but I think it's bc they can more easly use the internet, media, etc, to cope with the meaninglessness of life, or @least distract from it. I expect we'd see a SHARP spike once we have that day where the markets REALLY crash. tbh I billeve the youth-suicide rates have peaked well before 2022, maybe bc most of the suicidal youths already killed themselves? IDK, but that's one way for rising ctb rates to turn around.

 

[Takamagahara]

I don't know. I've always considered suicide such an individualistic thing. Trying to read it as a statistical trend with common causes seems futile to me.

If I really had to guess, it's probably the poor feeling financially trapped. I mean, once you get to a certain point your only options are CTB or commit literal crimes, right?

 

[Dead Already]

Lack of qualified mental health help, financial inequality, government, self centered greed.
If you do not have lots of money in the USA, you are disposable.

 

[PrisonPlanet]

People are completely burned out over money and their jobs. People are working more than ever but we keep having less and less and our bills keep getting higher and higher. My parents are expecting me to move out next month and no matter what I've done, I can't find any better job or make anymore money. They think I can just "find a better job" but it's impossible.

 

[ringo99]

I'm guessing a combination of financial problems and self isolation brought on by covid

 

[CW36]

You'll likely find it's increasing worldwide. More people, more problems. Definitely increasing in the UK, and I'm sure they underplay the figures big time, in order to not give any further encouragement to those tempted. The amount of CTB's I have heard of in personal circles alone..

 

[Gaga786]

I believe it's handing out anti-depressants and other anti psychotic medications as if they were candy. That might be doing way more harm than good and causing suicidal ideation. Although, I may be wrong though.

 

[Pluto]

I remember the figure was around 30,000 per year circa-2000, when the US population was only around 280 million. If so, the pro rata number should be around 43,000 today based on population increases. Obviously, a lot of other issues have arisen since then. Most notably a growth in economic inequality, less optimism about the future and toxic polarisation in the culture thanks in large part to the rise of social media 'brain hacking'.

That said, if the biggest increase is in the senior citizen population, it's worth noting that people are otherwise living longer than ever before in history, even though not everyone would actually want to. I expect many people would consider their lifetimes complete at 80 and not need to live a life propped up by technology to survive to 105.

 

[Zebulon]

is there any data on the gender of people who commited suicide?
Generally men die way more often that way, than women. If for example only the male suicides would rise up, you would have a better starting point from where to look at. Vice versa with more woman, if woman catch up in that regard, you could closer examine why that is.

Number of US suicides rose 4% in 2021, CDC report finds

A new CDC report found that the number of U.S. suicides rose 4% from 2020 to 2021 after two consecutive years of declines,

abcnews.go.com

"When looking at suicides broken down by sex, the number recorded for males in 2021 was 38,025, which is 4% higher than the 36,551 recorded in 2020.


Additionally, the rate of male suicides rose by 3% from 22.0 per 100,000 in 2020 to 22.7 per 100,000 in 2021, the report found.

Although female suicides increased by 2% from 9,428 in 2020 to 9,621 in 2021, researchers found that the rate increase from 5.5 per 100,000 in 2020 to 5.6 per 100,000 was not "statistically significant."
That is from 2021, but it seems like a male problem, more than a general population problem

 

[Kerrtu]

All in all…





it's the continuance of trying to make people bricks in the wall.

 

[lethargic]

total societal collapse encapsulates things pretty well i think

 

[FuneralCry]

Maybe people are just becoming more aware of how existing is just pointless suffering where one is destined for nothing but to decay from age, the thought of old age disturbs me, and I guess that those who managed to leave had access to a method that worked for them.

I envy those who are free as they are now unable to suffer for all eternity, they are the true fortunate ones to me as existing is just so dreadful, existence is the ultimate source of all suffering and cruelty after all.

 

[enough of this]

Political and subsequent psychological and societal conditions have become unbearable. Loneliness, anxiety and depression are the result.
Human beings aren't built to take an environment like this.

 

[jbear824]

I bet it's financial problems. inflation is so terrible right now, everyone in the working class has to slave their asses off just to make enough to pay rent and buy a few groceries. no matter how much I work it never seems to make me enough money, and I'm sure most other people are struggling with the same thing. if I was rich, I'd be able to pay away all my problems. money is 90% of the reasons I'm going to CTB. it feels like the future will never get better when the government will never agree to pay us more and employers will always treat us like shit

Especially when the government is actively out to get/punish/kill poor people with it's policies.

 

[ButterflyDream]

Things have gotten even worse for everyone except the people at the very top. Everyone else is starting to recognize that they have no future, so they might as well end it now. Mental health services are a joke, and even if it was better there's not much therapy can do to help you feel better that this whole country's fucked.

 

[BGooG]

Demographically, the age group most at risk are middle-aged men; this has been true for quite a while. So seeing the largest increase in this group, correlated with increasing overall rates, is not a surprise.