Suicide rate rose sharply among middle-aged Americans, CDC finds

[Redfairen]

Source: Reuters

The suicide rate among middle-aged Americans rose sharply between 1999 and 2010, a trend that could reflect the stresses of a sharp economic downturn, according to a federal report released on Thursday.

The annual rate of suicide rose 28 percent among Americans aged 35 to 64 during the study period, but changed little for older and younger people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The number of suicides among people in their 50s doubled in that time frame.

.......

The report drew attention to especially high increases of suicide among Native Americans, for whom the rate rose by 65 percent overall - 60 percent among men and more than 81 percent among women. The suicide rate rose 40 percent for non-Hispanic whites.

The most common ways people killed themselves were by using firearms, poison - often by overdosing on drugs - and suffocation, typically by hanging, a method for which the suicide rate increased by 81 percent between 1999 and 2010.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/02/us-usa-health-suicide-idUSBRE9410VY20130502

[liberal N proud]

1. The stress of being 50 something and out of a job

Companies don't want anyone 50 or older working for them. They kick you out in your mid to late 50's if you have survived that long, then no one else wants to invest in you at that age.

Those that do still have jobs are losing their pensions, vacations etc. And then top it off Congress wants to raise the retirement age AGAIN while cutting benefits.

I can see how stress can get one down and if you don't have a support system, you are lost.

Personally, I couldn't do it but I can see where people are coming from.

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. Drop That Age To 42. That Is Prime Chop Time In The New Economy.

[donnasgirl]

3. Redfairen

People in this country are losing all hope and doing it fast, I know young people who are in their mid twenties and can not find work.

I agree with your last comment on how people commit suicide but you left one out, they are also jumping off bridges.
It is high time for our ( so called leaders) to get their heads out of their collective asses and get people back to work, instead of worrying about whether it is the fault of the Democrats or the Republicans it is high time to get it done and get it done now.

[Bennyboy]

4. Well when you have no job, no healthcare, no prescriptions

to take care of the various maladies you get by the time you are 50, that is what you get. You've been outsourced, been told you are too old to hire (Not discrimination if they have the data to back that up) and not yet on SSI or disability (takes three years and more) and you have chronic pain, diabetes,etc.. you have to imagine that the suicide rate is rising.

[SunSeeker]

5. "The number of suicides among people in their 50s doubled"

No surprise about the statistics of people in their 50s. You're too old to get a job if you're unemployed, and too young to collect social security and medicare. Even if employed, you're probably uninsured or under-insured. It's in your 50s that the expensive illnesses start to hit hard: cancer, heart disease. When that happens and you're unemployed and are 15 years away from medicare, what hope do you have?

[Myrina]

6. Well, that's one way to reduce Social Security spending ...

Every single Congress Critter, 1% CEO and Banker in this country should be ashamed of themselves.

[AngryAmish]

7. THis is not going to end

This country does not know how to get out of this. We are lead by fools.

[Sunlei]

8. with out a job is one major stresser, without enough income to pay local taxes, hoa fees makes

one homeless. Plenty of homes up selling on the courthouse steps for non payment of taxes.

Plenty of homes to buy from HOAs who foreclose on those locals who can't afford to pay the fees and fines.

[Stuart G]

9. Very sad...about the U.S.A...k and r..nt

[kickysnana]

10. Oh shoot I thought I had matriculated from middle age already....

[Fumesucker]

11. It's to be expected, there's a real shortage of ice floes thanks to global warming n/t

[Steerpike]

12. yes

I fell under many of these darks clouds. But, I never really came to these types of thoughts, becouse of my family. I have only sympathy for those do not have such solace.