According to national data, more Americans took their own lives last year than ever before.
Figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in 2022 in the US, 49,500 adults will have committed suicide, driven by access to guns and increased rates of depression.
The data suggests that suicides in the US are now more common than at any time since World War II.
That’s an increase from 48,200 in 2021, equivalent to one death every 11 minutes.
Suicide is now the 11th leading cause of death in the US, compared to 2020 when it was the 12th leading cause of death. It is also the second leading cause of death in people aged 10 to 34.
Figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that in 2022 in the US, 49,500 adults will have committed suicide, driven by access to guns and increased rates of depression
The number of suicides among adults aged 25 to 44 increased by about 10 percent. The new data suggests that suicide became the second leading cause of death in this age group in 2022, up from fourth in 2021
The US has long been criticized for the rising number of gun deaths, which experts say could be contributing to the number of suicides.
A 2022 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the US saw a record 45,222 firearm-related deaths in 2020 and the number of firearm-related suicides increased by one percent.
Additionally, data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease Report found that in 2019, the US had nearly four times as many firearm-related suicides as the second highest-ranking country, India.
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president for research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said, “I don’t know if you can talk about suicide without talking about guns.”
The suicide rate fell slightly in 2019 and fell again in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some experts attributed this to a phenomenon seen in the early stages of wars and natural disasters, when people pull together and support each other.
But in 2021, suicides increased by four percent. According to the new data, the number rose by more than 1,000 to 49,449 last year – about three percent more than the year before.
The preliminary data come from US death certificates and are considered to be nearly complete. However, they may change slightly as death certificates are reviewed in the coming months.
The greatest increases were seen in older adults. Deaths rose nearly seven percent among people aged 45 to 64 and more than eight percent among those aged 65 and over.
White males in particular have very high rates, according to the CDC.
Many middle-aged and older people experience issues such as losing their jobs or losing their spouse, and it’s important to break down stigma and other barriers that prevent them from getting help, said Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer.
The number of suicides among adults aged 25 to 44 increased by about 10 percent. The new data suggests that suicide became the second leading cause of death in this age group in 2022, up from fourth in 2021.
Despite the grim statistics, some say there is reason for optimism. A year ago, a national crisis hotline was created so anyone in the US can dial 988 to reach mental health specialists.
The CDC is expanding its suicide program to fund more prevention work in different communities. And awareness of the problem is growing and it’s okay to ask for help, health officials say.
In 2022, there was a more than eight percent decrease in suicides among people aged 10 to 24.
This may be due to more attention being paid to young people’s mental health issues and pressures schools and other agencies to focus on the problem, CDC officials said.