‘Substantial Increases’ in Suicide Rate for Middle-Aged Americans--Recession is Likely Source
National Jobs for All Coalition
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on May 3, 2013 that “recent evidence suggests there have been substantial increases in suicide rates among middle-aged adults in the United States.”
CDC analyzed National Vital Statistics System mortality data from
1999–2010, and found that the suicide rate among Americans aged 35–64
years increased 28.4 percent (from 13.7 per 100,000 population in 1999
to 17.6 per 100,000 in 2010).
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Why the Increase in Suicide among Middle-Aged Americans
The CDC notes, “Possible contributing factors for the rise in suicide rates among middle-aged adults include the recent economic downturn (historically, suicide rates tend to correlate with business cycles, with higher rates observed during times of economic hardship).” Other researchers point to the recent economic downturn with more certainty as the major culprit.
The medical journal the Lancet (“ Increase in State Suicide Rates in the USA During Economic Recession,” November 2012) reports, “Coinciding with the onset of the recession, the suicide rate accelerated.” Specifically, the Lancet reports that in the years before the onset of the financial crisis (from 1999 to 2007), the U.S. suicide rate was rising on average at a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 per year; while after the recession, there were an additional 0.51 deaths per 100 000 per year, and the Lancet calculates that “this acceleration corresponds to an additional 1,580 suicides per year.”
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National Jobs for All Coalition
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