Suicide rate rises dramatically for middle-aged Americans

NEW YORK— Suicide rates among middleaged Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to selfinflicted harm.

More people now die of suicide than car accidents, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the findings in the May 3 issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Suicide has typ- ically been viewed as a problem of teenagers and the elderly, and the surge in suicide rates among middle-aged Americans is surprising.

From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 per cent, to 17.6 deaths per 100,000 population, up from 13.7.

The most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rates rose by nearly 50 per cent, to about 30 per 100,000. For women, the largest increase was seen in those ages 60 to 64, among whom rates increased by nearly 60 per cent, to 7 per

Widespread availability of opioid drugs like OxyContin likely plays a role

100,000. CDC officials cited a number of possible explanations for the rise in suicide rates, including the economic downturn over the past decade. Historically, suicide rates rise during times of financial stress and economic setbacks.

“The increase does coincide with a decrease in financial standing for a lot of families over the same time period,” said the CDC’s deputy director, Ileana Arias.

Another factor may be the widespread availability of opioid drugs such as OxyContin and oxycodone, which can be particularly deadly in an overdose. The trend was most pronounced among white men and women in the 35-to-64 age group. Their suicide rate jumped 40 per cent between 1999 and 2010.

But the rates in younger and older people held steady. And there was little change among middle-aged black or Hispanic people, or most other racial and ethnic groups. One theory suggests the recession caused more emotional trauma in white people, who tend not to have the same kind of church support and extended families that black or Hispanic people do.