Suicide rate rises sharply among middle-aged Americans

Suicide rates among middle-aged Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm.

More people now die of suicide than in car accidents, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the findings in Thursday's issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In 2010 there were 33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes and 38,364 suicides.

Suicide has typically been viewed as a problem of teenagers and the elderly, and the surge in suicide rates among middle-aged Americans is surprising. The suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 climbed nearly 30 percent — to 17.6 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 13.7 — from 1999 to 2010. That period included the recession and the mortgage crisis.

Although suicide rates are growing among both middle-aged men and women, more men take their own lives. The suicide rate for middle-aged men was 27.3 deaths per 100,000, while for women it was 8.1 deaths per 100,000.

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. For women, the largest increase was seen in those ages 60 to 64, among whom rates increased by nearly 60 percent, to seven per 100,000.

CDC and researchers said they were confident that the data documented an actual increase in deaths by suicide and not a statistical anomaly. While reporting of suicides is not always consistent, the current numbers are, if anything, too low.

"It's vastly underreported," said Julie Phillips, an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University. "We know we're not counting all suicides."

"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."

The rise in suicides may also stem from the economic downturn over the past decade. Historically, suicide rates rise during times of financial stress and economic setbacks. "The increase does coincide with a decrease in financial standing for a lot of families over the same time period," Arias said.

Another factor may be the widespread availability of such opioid drugs as OxyContin and oxycodone, which can be particularly deadly in large doses.

Although most suicides are carried out using by firearms, officials said there was a marked increase in poisoning deaths, which includes intentional overdoses of prescription drugs, and hangings. Poisoning deaths were up 24 percent overall during the 10-year period, and hangings were up 81 percent.

Arias noted that the higher suicide rates might be due to a series of life and financial circumstances that are unique to the baby boomer generation. Men and women in that age group are often coping with the stress of caring for aging parents while still providing financial and emotional support to adult children.

Preliminary research at Rutgers suggests that the risk for suicide is unlikely to abate for future generations. Changes in marriage, social isolation and family roles mean many of the pressures faced by baby boomers will continue in the next generation, Phillips said.

"The boomers had great expectations for what their life might look like, but I think perhaps it hasn't panned out that way," she said. "Future cohorts are going to be facing many of these conditions as well."

Nancy Berliner, a Boston historian, lost her 58-year-old husband to suicide nearly two years ago. She said she would like to see more attention paid to support for relatives who lose someone to suicide. "One suicide can inspire other people, unfortunately, to view suicide as an option," she said. "It's important that society becomes more comfortable with discussing it. Then the people left behind will not have this stigma."