Suicides in U.S. hit historic high in 2022, driven by increase among older adults

I wasn't sure if this was a medical issue or a social issue. I think both. So not sure of the forum.

Suicide rates are up in the USA. 49,000 people died of suicide in 2022. That number surprised me. I didn't realize it was so widespread. Higher rates for older white males. The high suicide numbers are, of course, giving fodder for the anti-gun folks. They want to take away the lethal availability.

The article doesn't speculate on why the number is so high. My own speculation - economics must have something to do with it. Bad economy where even good jobs aren't paying enough for people to pay for both groceries and rent. That's depressing.

LA Times - Suicides in U.S. hit historic high in 2022, driven by increase among older adults

Rising rates of suicide among older adults drove the number of such deaths to a historic high in the United States last year, even as suicide declined among youth, according to a report released Wednesday by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2022 across the country, the highest tally recorded for the nation, according to federal figures. It’s the latest evidence of a troubling trend in the U.S., where suicide has been on the rise for much of the 21st century.

The growing numbers were propelled by rising rates of suicide among people 35 or older, federal figures indicate. Between 2021 and 2022, rates actually fell among those younger than 25, but rose significantly for many groups of older adults, the report shows.

The gender gap remained wide in 2022, with 23.1 deaths per 100,000 men and 5.9 deaths per 100,000 women. Elderly men were at especially high risk: Among men ages 75 and older, the suicide rate (43.7 deaths per 100,000) was roughly twice as high as for young males ages 15 to 24 (21.6 deaths per 100,000). And there have been marked differences in suicide rates by race and ethnicity, with American Indian and Alaska Native people at highest risk (26.7 deaths per 100,000), followed by non-Hispanic white people (17.6 deaths per 100,000), according to the report.

Yes. You’re spot on in your assumptions. Rather dismal.

Guessing the pandemic PTSD is playing out?

As a middle-aged white male, I’ll be honest, being told your whole adult life at increasing volume that you and only people like you are the reason for all of America’s past, present, and future problems might factor in.

*shrugs

Sadly I think another reason for the increase is from the veteran community, which doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
Not one mention in that article.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Well, the planet was an absolute sh!thole pre-plandemic - but fixable.

Now, it’s absolutely FUBAR.

We need a Younger Dryas 2.0. Or Armageddon, if you believe in that sort of thing.

The elites need to go. And I think that’s the only thing that will do it.

Can’t say that I blame these poor folks.

a reply to: KKLOCO

In a macro kinda sense, I think humanity understands at a certain unacknowledged level that whereas we spend $Bs on R&D for war and death annually, while there is always somebody, sick, starving, on the receiving end.

In the 21st century this is an abysmal way to conduct ourselves. Even with the given that we are sexy, violent semi-intelligent beasts.

Hurting one another and other species by proxy is the only thing we’re really good at.

Might as well be our own personal demise then by our own hand then. Much more intimate this death.

Somewhere a study done with rats and what happens with regards to societal collapse. I forget what it was called or who ran it, but it was rather telling. I think we might just be there as we preen on social media and shun and abhor the close-knit community our ancestors thrived in.

a reply to: FlyersFan

I think a lot of people have just lost hope completely and feel nothing but despair, pain, and anguish. I wish I could say that I feel like this issue will get addressed but something tells me things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. I thought there was about 40,000 suicides per year (last time I checked). that's 9,000 more than usual (which is tragic enough already)

a reply to: SteamyAmerican

yeah. there's still too many people intent on conquering and dominating others. I am not sure if things will ever improve.

a reply to: FlyersFan

the sad thing is nearly any one of us could become one of those numbers in those statistics. I have been seriously sick since the beginning of this year and have been dealing with mental illnesses for over 10 years. I am tired of living in pain and forced to be alive. assisted suicide should be legal in every state, nobody should be forced to live in pain. I have been denied the services and help that I need to get better because my life isn't judged as being valuable

a reply to: FlyersFan

Older Men see where the country is headed, which makes them more eager to cash out and see whats next.

I wonder at the difference between an old person who decides they have had enough and others who live on into their eighties and nineties living every day in nursing home care moving from bed to chair to toilet to chair to bed .

I'm achizoaffective and went through several months of such agony with the depression and voices telling me to kill myself that I actually visualized how to plan my exit strategy just to stop the agony and suffering.

Fortunately my psychiatrist was able to get me on a mood stabilizer that actually worked and I was amazed.

It was the first time a medication actually relieved the symptoms and I'm so grateful.

The only reason I didn't go through with the plan of hanging myself was because I didn't want to die I just wanted the experience to end and there was a little helpful voice repeating the line from Full Metal Jacket saying "You're a Marine you don't have permission to die."

I'm not enlisted but I am a Brat and that little bit of support was enough to keep me to succumbing to the abuse pain and misery.

I'm very lucky in that regard.

Some people don't have the benefit of a positive mantra to keep fighting and don't give up and they're so alone and in so much pain that they simply can't endure it anymore.

My heart goes out to those who succumb to futility.

My lighthearted and jovial uncle didn't reach out with what he was going through and was found on the side of the road with the gun still in his lap.

It was unexpected and tragic because he never talked about it. He battled his demons silently and they got the better of him.

Please reach out.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.

We're all in this together and people need people.

I believe Flyers is that the isolation of covid causes these increases in dead among adults, older adults need companionship and activities tailor to their age group.

It was hard for many of these active adults to move around when covid restricted them.

I wonder how the statistics look by region we know that some states were to the extreme on covid, while others were not.

In Florida it was business as usual and I loved going to Florida to feel free and normal.

I know that in my neck of the woods, we were not such restricted by covid, only for about a month or two, I help a friend with her classes, like gold zumba and strengthening for older adults.

I have to tell you, those littler ladies were present for class even with their mask on.

a reply to: SteamyAmerican

Somewhere a study done with rats and what happens with regards to societal collapse. I forget what it was called or who ran it, but it was rather telling. I think we might just be there as we preen on social media and shun and abhor the close-knit community our ancestors thrived in.

Universe 25

a reply to: FullHeathen

Thank you. I was being lazy. I appreciate the effort.

It’s worth a watch. Albeit a grim viewing.

But yeah. I think civilization is here.

originally posted by: marg6043
I believe Flyers is that the isolation of covid causes these increases in dead among adults, older adults need companionship and activities tailor to their age group.

Yeah, I've read a few articles saying that depression and anxiety increased substantially, especially with the elderly, during the COVID lockdowns. So I can see a COVID lockdown hangover of sorts contributing to the suicide rate.

SPAM

a reply to: FlyersFan

The thing that interested me is to see the areas in the US where the most suicides happened, just to see if it was more in democrat control states where covid was use to imprison Americans in their homes.

There is some research going on around prions and amyloid plaque with neuro degeneration from the covid spike protein, virus and vax. Along with a rise in heart, cancer and all cause mortality issues, one to watch out for. Increase in depression and anger are common as the brain does not work as good as it did.

a reply to: marg6043

Based on concentration maps from 2021 the results may suprise you. Its all central USA from West Virginia to Utah. No Southern States in the Deep South along with NO California or New York.

Why? Cause the gravy hand outs are too good and tasty?

In brief IMO 49,000 deaths is extremely low based on total USA population and because its so low the rate among large cities is washed out. Even when they try to smooth the data by using a ratio of events to 100,000 or 10,000 the resuts just arent there.

a reply to: FlyersFan
I was thinking that maybe a lot of the suicides are from people that lost loved ones due to Covid and the jabs and couldn’t carry on with them ..