July 19, 2021
This piece discusses suicide and suicidal ideation, and some people might find it disturbing. If you or someone you know is suicidal, please, contact your physician, go to your local ER, or call the suicide prevention hotline in your country. For the United States, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), or message the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Both services provide free, confidential support 24/7. You can also dial 911 in the U.S. for immediate help.
This piece will concentrate on how suicidality impacts men to honor suicide awareness month.
The Cold Statistics of Suicide Among Men
In April 2020, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced some very alarming statistics. Suicide ranks number four in causes of death for people ages 35-54. Suicide ranks as the second leading cause of death of people ages 10-34 as well. In fact, between the years 1999-2018, the suicide rate increased by 35% for all people in the U.S. That is a massive jump in deaths by suicide in the U.S. Suicide has become the tenth leading cause of death among all ages in the U.S., including men, women, and children.
The CDC got their information for their new report from the National Vital Statistics System that updates the trends in suicide death rates to describe differences by sex, urbanicity, county, and age group.
Also, according to the CDC, in 2017:
- Nearly half of all male deaths are caused by suicide, and that rate is 3.5 times higher than for women.
- The suicide rate is highest among middle-aged white men ranking at 70% of all completed suicides in that year.
- Men over the age of 65 have the most significant risk for suicide.
Clearly, we need to open a dialogue about men dying by suicide to end the carnage and ease the pain.
Comments (0)