US Sees Increase in Middle-Aged Adults Using Firearms for Suicide... Record High Last Year

Largest Increase Among White Males Over 45
Gun Attempts Overwhelming... "Increase in Guns Is the Cause"

Last year, the number of suicides in the United States reached 49,449. This is the highest figure since World War II.

On the 11th (local time), the Associated Press (AP) reported this citing the announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The number of suicides in the U.S. steadily increased from the early 2000s until 2018. It decreased to 47,511 in 2019 and further to 45,979 in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but began rising again from 2021. The figure of 49,449 is the highest since 48,300 cases in 1941 during World War II.

The increase in suicide numbers was most prominent among the elderly and middle-aged groups. Deaths among those aged 45 to 64 increased by nearly 7%, and among those aged 65 and older, the increase was over 8%. Among them, the suicide rate of white males was particularly high.

Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s Chief Medical Officer, said, “Many middle-aged and elderly people are facing issues such as unemployment or the loss of a spouse,” adding, “Not holding social prejudices against them is the way to help.”

Looking at the means of suicide, attempts using firearms were overwhelmingly the most common. According to data released by the CDC, firearm suicides in 2021 numbered 26,328, accounting for 55%. Suicides by suffocation were 12,431 cases, poisoning suicides were 5,568, and suicides by jumping were 1,184.

Jill Hackaby-Friedman, Senior Vice President of Research at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, pointed out that “it is difficult to talk about suicide without including firearms,” identifying the increase in firearms as a major cause.

Although the 2022 statistics by means of suicide have not yet been released, preliminary data analyzed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University indicate that firearm suicides in 2022 also reached a record high.

The researchers further stated, “For the first time, the firearm suicide rate among Black youth has surpassed that of White youth.”

Experts analyzed that “suicide is a complex issue,” and that recent increases in suicide are due to various factors including rising rates of depression and limited access to mental health services.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that “8 out of 10 Americans are pessimistic about the lives of the next generation compared to their own.”

According to a joint survey conducted by WSJ and the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center (NORC), 78% of respondents answered negatively to the question, “Are you confident that the lives of the next generation will be better than ours?”

WSJ noted, “This survey started in 1990, and this is the highest proportion of negative responses to date.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.