US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Last year's record high number of suicides in the United States | 2022 | US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

According to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 10th, the number of suicides in the United States reached a new high of 49000 in 2022. In addition to mental health issues, the widespread use of suicide tools and firearms is also seen as a contributing factor to this phenomenon. Faced with the increasing number of suicides, US health officials are calling on people to cherish their lives and seek help in a timely manner when facing difficulties.

record high

According to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the 10th, the number of suicides in the United States reached a record high of 49449 in 2022, an increase of 2.6% from the previous year. This level is equivalent to 14.9 suicides per 100000 Americans last year. According to the Associated Press, this means that suicide in the United States has reached the most common level since World War II.

From a temporal perspective, the number of suicides in the United States continued to rise from the beginning of the 21st century to 2018, reaching the highest level since 1941. In 2018, approximately 48300 Americans committed suicide, equivalent to 14.2 deaths per 100000 people.

However, this number slightly decreased in 2019 and 2020. Some people believe that this was related to the spread of the COVID-19 at that time. Because when disasters occur, people often work together and support each other.

But in 2021, the number of suicides in the United States rebounded to around 48000. Back then, suicide became the 11th leading cause of death in Americans, second only to chronic liver disease, and higher than influenza and pneumonia.

From the perspective of different age groups, the largest increase in suicide deaths last year occurred among the middle-aged and elderly population. The suicide rate has increased by nearly 7% among the population aged 45 to 64. Among the population aged 65 and above, the growth rate exceeds 8%.

Deborah Horry, Chief Medical Officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, said that this may be related to many middle-aged and elderly people experiencing issues such as unemployment or widowhood.

The suicide rate has increased by about 1% among the population aged 25 to 44. Last year, suicide became the second leading cause of death in this age group, up two places from 2021.

The suicide rate has decreased by more than 8% among the population aged 10 to 24. This may be because people are increasingly concerned about the mental health issues of adolescents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States also stated that the suicide rate among white men is particularly high.

It is reported that these preliminary data are based on death certificate information received by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. As this information is further scrutinized, the specific data on the number of suicides in the United States last year may be slightly adjusted.

Two major factors

Public opinion believes that there are two main reasons for the continuous increase in suicide deaths in the United States.

On the one hand, it is the deteriorating mental health status of Americans and the lack of corresponding assistance.

"Nine out of ten Americans believe that the United States is facing a mental health crisis," said US Health Secretary Xavier Bessela.

Last autumn, a survey conducted by CNN in collaboration with the Caesar Family Foundation also revealed this reality. More than one-fifth of adults describe their mental health as "average" or "poor," including young people under 30 years old and those with an annual income of less than $40000. One third of adults reported that they have always or frequently experienced anxiety in the past year, including a certain number of young people. About one-fifth of adults reported experiencing depression or loneliness frequently or consistently over the past year.

At the same time, the official mental health assistance services provided by the United States are still relatively limited.

It is reported that the US Drug Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration launched a helpline in 2005. Last July, this hotline service was upgraded and the number was changed to a simpler three digit 988 for the public to remember.

According to data from the US Department of Health, over the past year, 988 has received over 5 million consultation requests through phone, text, and online messaging, of which about one-fifth are related to veterans.

However, there are still many Americans who are unaware that they can contact professional psychological counselors by calling 988. A survey released by the American Psychological Association last month showed that over 80% of adults are unfamiliar with or have never heard of the 988 hotline.

In addition, there is still room for further improvement in personnel configuration and expanding localized services for 988. Therefore, some argue that in order to prevent the further increase in the number of suicides, it is necessary to further implement mental health assistance services, including increasing the number of counselors.

However, even with corresponding help, Besela said, many people still believe that seeking help is a sign of weakness. Holly said that it is necessary to make more people aware that seeking help in mental health is not a shameful thing.

On the other hand, there is a widespread presence of suicide tools and firearms. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, over half of suicide incidents in the past year involved firearms.

In June of this year, a report released by Johns Hopkins University in the United States also showed that gun related suicide is the driving factor behind the recent increase in the number of suicides in the United States. From 2019 to 2021, the gun related suicide rate increased by 10%, but during the same period, the non gun related suicide rate decreased by 8%.

Horry said it is important to realize that the trend of increasing suicide deaths has been ongoing for many years. Although there was a slight decline in 2019 and 2020, this trend has not changed in the past 15 years

However, "we can stop everything. We can intervene. There are many things to do," Holly said, including showing more care and concern for those around us.