Several researchers state that suicide is depression left untreated. Suicide rates have diminished over the past decade many thanks to new treatments for depression. It ranks 11th as the leading cause of death, and suicide is a very serious subject to deal with and talk about. There are 500,000 unsuccessful suicide attempts every year serious enough to justify or call for a visit to the emergency room. Each and every completed suicide is a successful attempt. There are several cross currents in analysis of trends in self destruction incidence. There are factors and indications that the trends are not unchanging across race or ethnicity, gender, age, or urban or rural areas.
For instance, most of the increase in suicide incidence among adolescents took place between 1950 and 1980. Little of that increase can be attributed to the varying self murder incidence among females, which have been more stable. Researchers discovered that the increase in adolescent male suicide completion during this period coincided with a considerable increase in alcohol use and consumption. Suicide was among the 10 leading causes of death until 1998, when it was number 8 overall. Ever since that time, it has been exceeded by deaths due to septicemia (blood poisoning) and Alzheimer’s disease. Preliminary data or information in the year 2003 ranked suicide at number 11 overall, with a provisional age-adjusted rate of 10.5 per 100000, a 3.7% decline from the year 2002 age-adjusted rate.
Nevertheless, it ranks between 2nd and 3rd among persons aged 10-45 years, and it remains as one of the top 10 leading causes of death among persons aged 10-64 years. The presumptions of decreasing instead of increasing rates in self murder are consequential. If the common or accepted wisdom that self destruction occurrences are held increasingly, consideration and attention must be redirected from present strategies which are deemed to be failing. The highest rates of suicide in the United States in America take place among white older males. The American population has an increasing escalating proportion of people aged 85 years and older.
If their rates were lower, that can account for descending rates among the 65-year-and-older age bracket, but the data aged for those 85 years and above show that their rates are higher as compared with 65-year-and-older age bracket in general. Nevertheless, the decline in proportion among the 85-year-and-older age bracket can be causing or driving the downward slope in rates among the 65-year-and-older age bracket. The proportion among the Black males and females and White females reach their peak during midlife. A broader and more open minded discussion regarding trends in self murder rates and to foster and further motivate a much expansive investigation of the bigger social, contextual, treatment trends and policy that might be contributing or participating to the downfall in one of the main causes of of preventable death.
If scientists could know and understand what has participated and contributed to the current declines, they would be better able to generate and circulate more effective interventions to prevent suicide from taking place.
The author of this article, Amy Twain, is a Self Improvement Coach who has been successfully coaching and guiding clients for many years. Amy recently published a new home study course on how to boost your Self Esteem. More info about this “Quick-Action Plan for A More Confident You” is available HERE.