Since 2008, suicide has been the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, with rates that have gradually increased in recent years.
This is one of the alarming conclusions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obtained from mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System for the years 1999-2017.
The following is a summary of the main findings of the CDC that highlight the increase in the suicide rate in the United States, a serious public health problem – defined as such by the WHO – whose high prevalence affects the world:
From 1999 to 2017, the age-adjusted suicide rate has increased by 33%, from 10.5 to 14.00 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Suicide rates recorded in 2017 are significantly higher compared to 1999 among men aged 10-14 (3.3 and 1.9, respectively), 15-24 (22.7 and 16.8), 25-44 (27.5 and 21.6), 45-64 (30.1 and 20.8) and 65-74 (26.2 and 24.7). A significant increase in the suicide rate among women aged 10-74 was also detected.
In 2017, the age-adjusted suicide rate for the most rural areas is 1.8 times the rate for the most urban areas (20.0 and 11.1 per 100,000, respectively).
Since 2008, suicide has been the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. While efforts have been made to reduce suicide rates to 10.2 per 100,000 by 2020, they have steadily increased in recent years.
