Experts are concerned about an alarming spike in the suicide rate among middle-aged Americans in the past decade with many puzzled by what is driving so many baby boomers to take their own lives.
The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose from 13.7 deaths per 100,000 to 17.6 deaths per 100,000, an increase of nearly 30 percent.
“The most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rates jumped by nearly 50 percent, to about 30 per 100,000,” the AP reports. “For women, the largest increase was seen in those ages 60 to 64, among whom rates increased by nearly 60 percent, to 7.0 per 100,000.”
Officials are unable to explain the causes behind this spike with certainty and say a variety of factors could be behind the rising numbers.
“It is the baby boomer group where we see the highest rates of suicide,” said the CDC’s deputy director, Ileana Arias. “There may be something about that group, and how they think about life issues and their life choices that may make a difference.”
It could also be due to the economic downturn in the past decade. “The increase does coincide with a decrease in financial standing for a lot of families over the same time period,” Dr. Arias said.
Some believe the widespread availability of opioid drugs like OxyContin and oxycodone makes it easier for people to take intentional overdoses.
Even though most suicides are committed with a firearm, there has been a marked increase in poisoning deaths (which include intentional overdoses) and hangings. Poisoning deaths were up 24 percent over all during the 10-year period and hangings were up 81 percent.
Dr. Arias believes people of baby boomer age are experiencing specific stresses such as caring for aging parents and trying to give financial and emotional support to adult children.
“Their lives are configured a little differently than it has been in the past for that age group,” Dr. Arias said. “It may not be that they are more sensitive or that they have a predisposition to suicide, but that they may be dealing with more.”
Overall, the suicide rate has been climbing across the board. As of now, more people die of suicide in the U.S. than in car accidents. In 2010, there were 33,687 deaths from car accidents and 38,364 suicides.
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