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Melissa Hutsell is an award-winning freelance journalist with a deep rooted passion for both community and international journalism. She was born and raised in Northern California, and has lived, studied, worked, and traveled in more 20 different countries. Melissa holds a Master's degree in Global Journalism from City University London, as well as degrees in Journalism and Globalization from Humboldt State University. Though she covers various topics as both a writer and editor, she specializes in business and cannabis journalism.
Rising Suicide Rates Prove It’s More Than A Mental Health Issue
Suicide rates have increased in nearly every state across America, according to the results of a Center for Disease Control (CDC) study, which examined these rates between 1999 and 2016.
Rates were highest in north and central states like North Dakota, which saw a 57.6 percent increase in suicides since 1999. The most common method used: guns.
Among the most unsettling findings is that more than half of suicides come without warning. “54 percent of the people who killed themselves didn't have a previously known mental health issue,” the article reported.
Deborah Stone, lead author of the study, said that instead victims suffered from “other issues, such as relationship problems, substance misuse, physical health problems, job or financial problems, and recent crises or things that were coming up in their lives that they were anticipating." It’s more than a mental health issue, she explained.
This may counter the public’s perception that only people who have been treated for, or are known to have, mental health problems are at risk. But that’s often not the case, explained psychologist Michael Anethis.
This emphasizes the need for public outreach, and for different approaches like stable housing and teaching coping skills. It also helps spotlight the need for a national prevention and awareness program.
Currently, the U.S. has no federally funded suicide prevention program for adults.
The CDC recommends these sites for more information or for help: www.BeThe1to.com. To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
