CDC: Suicide Up in Nearly Every State Since 1999

Suicide rates rose in every state but Nevada between 1999 and 2016, climbing 30% or more in 25 states, according to the latest Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increases over the study period varied from 6% in Delaware to 58% in North Dakota, with rates for the most recent three-year period ranging from about 7 per 100,000 residents in Washington, D.C. to 29 in Montana. Based on data from 27 states, 54% of people who died from suicide in 2015 were not known to have a mental health condition and 49% died by firearms. The report recommends that states take a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention. “From individuals and communities to employers and health care professionals, everyone can play a role in efforts to help save lives and reverse this troubling rise in suicide,” said CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat, M.D.