US suicides rose in 2022 after short decline

SALT LAKE CITY — Suicides in the United States increased in 2021 and 2022, after a short decline from a high of the past two decades that occurred in 2018.

Suicide is now the No. 11 cause of death for all ages, while it's the No. 2 cause of death for those ages 10 to 14 and 20 to 34. Among teenagers 15 to 19, suicide is the third-leading cause of death.

The numbers were released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on death data from the National Vital Statistics System.

Among the findings:

• After increasing from 2002-2018, when suicides peaked at 14.2 deaths per 100,000 standard population, self-inflicted deaths dropped to 13.5 per 100,000 in 2020 and then increased to 14.2 in 2022, which was itself a slight increase from 2021.
• Suicide rates generally increased between 2020 and 2022 for females 25 and older.
• The suicide rate for males ages 10-14 and 15-24 dropped in those years, while rates for older age groups typically increased.
• Suicide by gun was the leading means among females in 2022. Those rates have been increasing since 2007. Prior to that, more females died by poisoning.
• Over the entire two decades, death by firearm was the leading means of suicide for males, a rate that has been rising since 2006.

Gender differences

Females have typically taken their lives at much lower rates than males — three to four times less. The report said the suicide rate for males increased from 18.5 in 2002 to 22.8 in 2018, fell for a couple of years and then rose again through 2022, to 23.0 per 100,000. Meanwhile, the suicide rate for females rose from 4.2 in 2002 to 6.0 in 2015, where it remained pretty stable for three years. The rate declined to 5.5 in 2020, before increasing to 5.9 in 2022. Among older women, ages 65-74, the increase wasn't statistically significant.

Among females, the suicide rates during the entire 20-year period were highest for middle-aged women ages 45 to 65 and lowest for girls ages 10 to 14. Among men, suicide rates were highest for men 75 and older and lowest for boys ages 10 to 14.

Preventing suicide

There are risk factors and warning signs, according to Your Health in Mind. Risk factors include mental health issues, feeling lonely and disconnected, drugs or alcohol use, trauma and violence, bullying, recently beginning or stopping a mental health medication, breakups, lost jobs, death of someone close, humiliation or embarrassment, a big money loss and being part of a marginalized community.

Those can lead to behaviors that could signal danger, including withdrawal from formerly loved people and activities, saying things like "I'm a burden," talking about wanting to die, researching suicide, self-harm activities like cutting, past suicidal behavior, giving things away and preparing end-of-life paperwork, writing goodbye letters and risky behavior.

Suicide is always preventable, according to the CDC, which calls it a "serious public health problem" that requires society at all levels to tackle. It offers seven strategies to do so, including:

• Strengthen economic supports including improving household finances and stabilizing housing.
• Create protective environments by removing lethal means from those at risk, tackling substance misuse and creating healthy organizational policies and practices.
• Improve access to and delivery of suicide-related care. That includes bolstering mental health insurance coverage and the number of skilled providers, as well as providing readily available and remote access to help.
• Promote healthy personal connections, including boosting community-based activities.
• Teach coping and problem-solving skills, including parenting skills and social-emotional learning and resilience.
• Identify and support those who are at risk — a process that includes training gatekeepers, responding to crises, planning for safety after an attempt and offering therapeutic approaches.
• Lessen harms and head off future risks, including intervening after a suicide.

On a personal level, listen and take someone seriously if they express suicidal thoughts. Your Health in Mind says to listen and let the person know you are concerned and care.

You should not be shy about talking to someone if you think they are pondering harming themselves. It won't drive them to it and may head it off. Ask directly, "Are you thinking of hurting yourself?"

Other advice includes exploring all the reasons someone has to stay alive and encouraging someone who's struggling to get help, including going with them.

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