The U.S. suicide rate has reached a devastating new high in 2022, according to figures recently released by the Centers For Disease Control (CDC).
The organization’s data suggests that more than 49,500 people took their own lives during this year alone – the highest number on record since 1941.
U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) responded to the news with shock and dismay, expressing his deep sorrow over such an “incredible epidemic of misery” occurring within our nation’s borders.
Although suicides have been steadily increasing since the early 2000s, they had briefly declined during 2020 – only for them to spike again in 2021 and reach its current all-time peak in 2022.
It is believed that this rise may be related to natural disasters or other traumatic events however, it is clear that a great deal more work must be done if we are ever going to get a handle on this issue and prevent any future tragedies from occurring.
In addition to being the second leading cause of death among those aged 25–44, statistics show that suicide disproportionately affects older adults between 45–64 years old as well as those 65 or older – both groups saw increases totaling 7% and 8%, respectively.
White men also appear particularly vulnerable when it comes to suicide rates however, further research will need to be conducted before any concrete conclusions can be made on how best to tackle this issue effectively for everyone involved.
Unfortunately, not only has the US seen an unprecedented rise in suicides during 2021–2022 but drug overdoses have also skyrocketed during this same period – with more than 107,600 Americans dying from drug misuse last year alone.
This is an increase of 15% compared with 2020’s already alarming count.
The question now arises: what can ordinary citizens do about this crisis?
