
A recent study from the CDC reveals the shocking truth behind rising suicide rates in the U.S.
Suicide rates in the United States are at their highest level in the past 30 years, and researchers are struggling to figure out why. According to a report from the New York Times, a new study from National Center for Health Statistics breaks down the most recent data to reveal a shocking truth about the U.S.
The study found that suicide has been on the rise in every age group except for the elderly. The increase was particularly pronounced for women and middle-aged Americans. This stands in stark contrast to data from earlier in the 20th century, where both groups saw declining suicide rates.
The suicide rate for middle-aged women from the ages of 45 to 64 rose by a staggering 63 percent, while it rose by 43 percent for men in the same age group. The study, which examined a period from 1999 to 2014, revealed that the overall U.S. suicide rate rose by 24 percent to its highest level since 1986.
The suicide rate in the U.S. rose by 2 percent every year beginning in 2006, and it shows no sign of slowing down. The report reveals that 43,773 people died from suicide in 2014, compared to 29,199 in 1999.
According to Katherine Hempstead, the senior advisor for healthcare at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “It’s really stunning to see such a large increase in suicide rates affecting virtually every age group.”
So what’s behind the rise in suicides around the country? Researchers cite a devastating lack of funding for mental health programs that could potentially address the issue with suffering patients, but other factors like economic stresses likely play a role in the increase. The study reveals that no single demographic is immune from mental illness – nearly every group was represented in the research.
A press release from the CDC describing the study’s key details can be found here.
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