Docs worry over spike in suicides

THE DEATHS of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade come amid a startling spike in suicides in New York and across the U.S.

Suicide rates in the Empire State have soared 29% since 2009 — roughly matching the national figures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The trend has alarmed psychiatrists and other experts, leaving them struggling to explain what is causing more and more Americans to take their own lives.

Psychiatrist Michael Myers said the figures show the existing model of treatment is broken.

“We have to go in a different direction. Something about what we’re doing is not working,” said Myers, the former president of the New York City chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “We need to find better methods of treating underlying illnesses, like we do with heart disease and cancer for instance.”

The new data show that suicide rates have increased in every state but Nevada since 1999.

The percentage increases ranged from under 6% in Delaware to over 57% in North Dakota.

The latest New York City data show a 9% increase in suicide rates from 2000 to 2016, a third of the state and national figures.

The Tuesday suicide of handbag designer Spade, 55, triggered a 25% uptick in calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Kimberly Williams, whose organization runs the hotline, said the increase could be a result of the media spotlighting the resources for those in distress.

Williams said the rising suicide rates are likely a combination of several factors — including mental health woes, increased financial problems and substance abuse.

“There’s not any single cause,” added Williams, president of the Mental Health Association of New York City.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 (TALK)