CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)

“Suicide is an increasing public health concern. In 2009, the number of deaths from suicide surpassed the number of deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the United States. Traditionally, suicide prevention efforts have been focused mostly on youths and older adults, but recent evidence suggests that there have been substantial increases in suicide rates among middle-aged adults in the United States. To investigate trends in suicide rates among adults aged 35–64 years over the last decade, CDC analyzed National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) mortality data from 1999–2010. Trends in suicide rates were examined by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, state and region of residence, and mechanism of suicide. The results of this analysis indicated that the annual, age-adjusted suicide rate among persons aged 35–64 years increased 28.4%, from 13.7 per 100,000 population in 1999 to 17.6 in 2010. Among racial/ethnic populations, the greatest increases were observed among American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) (65.2%, from 11.2 to 18.5) and whites (40.4%, from 15.9 to 22.3). By mechanism, the greatest increase was observed for use of suffocation (81.3%, from 2.3 to 4.1), followed by poisoning (24.4%, from 3.0 to 3.8) and firearms (14.4%, from 7.2 to 8.3). The findings underscore the need for suicide preventive measures directed toward middle-aged populations. CDC used the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System to compile NVSS data on suicides reported during 1999–2010 among U.S. residents aged >10 years. Age group–specific annual suicide rates, as well as age-adjusted annual suicide rates calculated using the U.S. standard 2000 population, were based on bridged race population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Trends in age-adjusted suicide rates from 1999, when signs of an increase began (4), through 2010, the latest data available, were analyzed for adults aged 35–64 years by sex and mechanism of suicide. The three most common suicide mechanisms were firearms (i.e., penetrating injury or gunshot wound from a weapon using a powder charge to fire a projectile), poisoning (predominantly drug overdose), and suffocation (predominantly hanging). These three mechanisms and an “all other” mechanism category were used for comparisons. Data also were analyzed by age group, race/ethnicity,* and U.S. Census region.”