Some statistics indicate a recent rise in suicide rates, and the economy is being blamed as a prime factor.
The WSJ reports:
A Journal survey of the 33 largest states by population found 19 have data for 2008. In all, those 19 reported a total of 15,335 suicides in 2008, up about 2.3% from the previous year.
Thirteen states, accounting for 30% of the U.S. population, reported more suicides in 2008. In Florida, for instance, suicides were up 6%, in Georgia, up 2.3%, and in North Carolina, up 7.8%. In six smaller states, which account for about 9.5% of the population, the number of suicides fell.
Also:
Calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a government-funded number (1-800-273-TALK) linked to a network of crisis centers, are on pace to reach about 630,000 in 2009, according to officials there. That is up about 15% from last year on top of a 36% increase in 2008 that Lifeline officials attribute, in part, to a promotion of the hotline by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We’re hearing from people who might not have sought help before,” said John Draper, project director. Some crisis centers note that financial problems outpace depression as reasons for the calls, he said. “There’s a lot more anxiety and fear related to paying bills and finding a job. Certainly there’s some hopelessness about the future.”
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