According to a new analysis by the CDC, suicide rates among US adults ages 35-64 in rose 28% from 1999-2010. The numbers are dramatic, especially since suicide prevention efforts usually focus on the two bookends of adolescence and golden years. Boomers seem to be the most susceptible. Men in their fifties experienced the largest spike, with 49% more suicides over the last decade. Suicide rates in women also rose with age, and among women in their early sixties, the increase was a whopping 60%. Why does the boomer generation have such higher rates? Experts speculate that the economic downturn plays a role. “People die by suicide more frequently when they become unemployed,” explains Paula Clayton, MD, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Besides the emotional turmoil of losing a job, they lose their benefits and paycheck, which makes them less likely to go to the doctor and get help. Another risk factor is the prevalence of prescription drugs—poisoning by overdose increased by 25% over the last decade, the study found. Plus, boomers have always had historically high rates of suicide. “A study predicted in the 1950s that when boomers—then teenagers—became middle-aged adults, they would have higher suicide rates,” Dr. Clayton explains. That’s exactly what we’re seeing now, and today’s tough economic climate is making things worse. “Many states have cut back on their mental health funding…and about 90% of people who commit suicide have a mental disorder when they die,” she says. Most commonly, that’s depression, although suicide cuts across all psychiatric illnesses, Dr. Clayton says. What are the signs? The person will have changed from their normal self: They may gain or lose weight, have trouble sleeping, and lack focus and memory, she says. “They sort of put on dark glasses and see everything in a very skeptical way. They become hopeless. They feel guilty about something they did 10 years ago. They may even say ‘you may be better off without me,’ or ’this is too painful, I wish I were dead.’ Any of those signs should alarm you.” If these symptoms sound familiar, tell your friend you’re concerned, and schedule an appointment with their doctor, Dr. Clayton suggests. Go with your friend, and alert the doctor to your concerns. “We just need to get the people engaged,” Dr. Clayton says. “If they have cancer, they go to the expert. But they somehow think this is just normal—and it’s not.” More from Prevention: Quiz: Do You Have Depression?
