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More Suicides
It’s not just celebrities; in fact, suicides are on the rise across the country, in 49 of our 50 states. Ben Carey, in the New York Times, traces some of the probable causes, and the correlational statistics attending them.
Carey notes that the “biggest increases have been in states like Oklahoma, Montana and Wyoming where gun ownership, drug use and economic hardship are common. Among middle-aged people across the country, marriage rates have declined, and social isolation has increased.” Carey is careful not to say that more guns, higher drug usage, and increase poverty are the reason, but he notes their increased presence and increased suicide rates.
To add evidence, though, to the impact of the availability of guns on suicides, Carey notes that “a handful of states have passed legislation allowing authorities to seize firearms from people deemed mentally unstable or ‘dangerous.’ In a study of these laws in two states, Indiana and Connecticut, researchers at the University of Indianapolis found that the legislation led to reductions in gun-related suicides, compared to the expected numbers: they were 7.5 percent lower in Indiana in the decade following enactment, and 13.7 percent lower in Connecticut in the year since strict enforcement began.
To read Carey’s full article, see
In addition, we have a number of resources that might be useful in understanding suicide or in dealing with its aftermath.
Fact Sheets:
- Bereavement
- Pediatric Mood Disorders
- Depression
- Complicated Grief
- Military Suicide
- Suicide
- Adolescent Suicide
Videos:
For a list of treatment providers who work with depression and suicide, check out ABCT’s Find-A-Therapist page here