..." More than 30,000 Americans commit suicide each year; hundreds of thousands more attempt it but fail. As a deliberate act to end one’s own life, suicide appears anathema in a society seemingly obsessed with improving health and prolonging life. Yet suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States in 2007.
... ' Older People at Higher Risk
....In the United States and in many other countries, the suicide rate increases with age (see figure).'...
......The highest suicide rates have historically been among the oldest Americans. Many elderly have undiagnosed or untreated depression, which can be intensified by the trauma of losing a spouse or the stress of living with a chronic illness. Elderly adults often lack frequent social interactions that can help protect them against the loneliness that can exacerbate depression. Compared with suicide attempts among younger people, suicides among older adults tend to be carefully planned and more likely to be successful. Many elderly also have underlying health conditions, which reduces their chances of surviving a suicide attempt, compared with younger adults. Suicide rates have actually declined for older adults since 1999, but they remain higher than those in most other age groups......
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..." Additional facts about suicide in the US
The age-adjusted suicide rate in 2021 was 14.04 per 100,000 individuals.
In 2021, men died by suicide 3.90x more than women.
On average, there are 132 suicides per day.
White males accounted for 69.68% of suicide deaths in 2021.
In 2021, firearms accounted for 54.64% of all suicide deaths. "..
...." Figure 2 shows the crude rates of suicide within sex and age categories in 2020. Among females, the suicide rate was highest for those aged 45-64 (7.9 per 100,000). Among males, the suicide rate was highest for those aged 75 and older (40.5 per 100,000)."...