Jakarta –
Nearly 50 thousand citizens of the United States (US) will die by suicide in 2022. In fact, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of suicide deaths had decreased in 2019 and 2020.
This increase began to occur in 2021 with an increase of 5 percent, then increased again by 2.6 percent in 2022 to 49,449 cases.
“Mental health has become a defining public and societal health challenge of our time. Too many people and their families are suffering and feeling alone,” Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy said in a statement quoted by CBS News.
Murthy said the latest figures from the CDC report were a sobering reminder of how urgent it is to expand access to mental health care. Society needs to address the root causes of mental health struggles and recognize the importance of checking in and supporting one another.
Adults aged 65 and over will experience the largest increase in suicide deaths of any age group from 2021 to 2022. The increase will be 8.1 percent to 10,433 deaths.
Children and young adults ages 10 to 24 experienced the greatest decline over that time of any age group. However, the number decreased by 8.4 percent to 6,529 deaths due to suicide.
However, a CDC study published in June found that suicide rates among this age group have tended to increase over the past two decades. The number has increased 62 percent from 2007 to 2021.
Research also shows that adolescent mental health is experiencing a crisis more generally, with a very alarming number of young girls.
A CDC survey in March found that about one in three high school girls in the US is seriously contemplating suicide. More than half of teenage girls or 57 percent reported feeling constantly sad or hopeless.
Meanwhile, adults aged 24 to 44 years experienced the largest number of suicide deaths of all age groups with 16,843. This marks an increase of only 0.7 percent from last year.
“Nine out of ten Americans believe America is facing a mental health crisis. The new suicide death data reported by the CDC illustrates why,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
“One life lost by suicide is too many. However, too many people still believe asking for help is a sign of weakness,” he said.
Since 2000, except for 2019 and 2020, CDC data shows deaths from suicide in the US have continued to increase. This condition has made officials urge better mental health resources.
“The troubling rise in suicides requires urgent action across our communities to address the shocking loss of life from preventable tragedies,” said CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr Debra Houry.
“Everyone can play a part in efforts to save lives and reverse the increase in suicide deaths,” he said.
In June, the CDC used data collected in 2020 to examine depression rates. From these results it was found that 18.4 percent of US adults or nearly one in five people have reported having been diagnosed with depression.
NOTE: This information is not intended to inspire suicide. If you have suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately by contacting the nearest psychologist or psychiatrist. If you or someone you know experiences warning signs of suicide, you can call the Ministry of Health’s Mental Health Hotline 021-500-454.
Watch Video “New Technique for Overcoming Mental Health Disorders with VR”
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2023-08-14 01:33:32
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