Suicides in U.S. hit historic high in 2022, driven by increase among older adults

A woman presses her face against a photo on a memorial poster during an event to raise awareness and funds for Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center in Los Angeles in October 2023. Suicide rates have increased across many demographic groups, but “if there’s a bright spot in the report, it is that decline for some of the younger groups which had been marching steadily up.” Suicide prevention and crisis counseling resources If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional and call 9-8-8. “People don’t realize that depression is not a normal part of aging” and that older people can access treatment for it, said Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In the throes of a crisis, “making access to care easy in that moment might save your life.” Cameron said that for older adults, stigma is a “huge issue” in seeking mental health care, and “even in the mental health community, there aren’t a lot of people trained specifically in geriatrics.” Insurance barriers have also been an issue, since some kinds of health professionals could not bill Medicare for mental health services, Cameron said. The U.S. surgeon general issued a call to action in 2021, saying that suicide prevention “requires a comprehensive approach that combines multiple strategies to reduce risk and strengthen protective factors at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels.” That includes addressing “upstream factors” that affect suicide, increasing the use of mobile crisis teams, and keeping people safe from “lethal means,” the surgeon general’s report says.