Suicide Rates Up 35% in Last 20 Years

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the suicide rate in the United States increased from 10.5 to 14 per 100,000 persons between 1999 and 2018, with a much sharper increase in the past decade. The CDC adds that suicide risk is higher among men and those living in rural areas. Dr. Jonathan Singer, the president of the board of directors of the American Association of Suicidology writes, “No one knows why suicide rates are climbing… What we do know is that research on suicide is underfunded, that there are many different pathways people take to become suicidal and to make the decision to die… There’s a need for more folks to be trained in addressing suicide risk, particularly in rural areas and a need for more research.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 2020