Truemors
According to research, suicide has been on the rise in the last 45 years. Now middle-aged white women are reportedly more at risk for suicide.
Society changes over the last 45 years are obviously a factor for statistical changes in suicide. But we must consider heredity a factor as well. We are not living in a world where we whisper about the "mentally ill uncle". We do not commit people and put them away like animals. This is not "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Next". That's all a joke.
So what drives suicide today? The economy, too much stress, drug or alcohol abuse, family or marital problems? No health care, lonliness, apathy? Too many commercials for Abilify, Zoloft and Paxil, but not enough therapy.
Not enough public acceptance.
Even though in today's world, we may not automatically think a depressed person or someone with a mental illness is "crazy", but I'll just quote this:
"We haven't come a long way, baby..."
WASHINGTON - U.S. suicide rates appear to be on the rise, driven mostly by middle-aged white women, researchers reported on Tuesday.
They found a disturbing increase in suicides between 1999 and 2005 and said the pattern had changed in an unmistakable way — although the reasons behind the change are not clear.
The overall suicide rate rose 0.7 percent during this time, but the rate for white men aged 40 to 64 rose 2.7 percent and for middle-aged women 3.9 percent, the team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found.
..."Historically, suicide-prevention programs have focused on groups considered to be at highest risk — teens and young adults of both genders as well as elderly white men. This research tells us we need to refocus our resources to develop prevention programs for men and women in their middle years."
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States and Baker said the changes are substantial.
"Definitely these are not just little blips," she said in a telephone interview. "We are looking at a big population change."
..."Historically, suicide-prevention programs have focused on groups considered to be at highest risk — teens and young adults of both genders as well as elderly white men. This research tells us we need to refocus our resources to develop prevention programs for men and women in their middle years."
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States and Baker said the changes are substantial.
"Definitely these are not just little blips," she said in a telephone interview. "We are looking at a big population change."
...In September researchers confirmed an 18 percent spike in youth suicides in the United States in 2004 persisted into 2005 after more than a decade of decreases.
And international research published in January found that the young, single, female, poorly educated and mentally ill are all at higher risk of suicide.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide rates have increased by 60 percent in the last 45 years. Depression is the leading cause of suicide.
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