The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) revealed on Wednesday the disturbing number of suicide cases last year.
According to the study, more than 49,000 Americans committed suicide in 2022, a 3% rise from the year before. The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics statistician and study lead author, Sally Curtin, calls the figure the highest ever reported in the country.
"These are provisional data, so we expect the final number to actually be a little bit higher than that," Curtin says, as quoted in an NPR report. The total suicide rate rose in 2022 to levels not seen since 1941. The numbers have been rising since 2000, although they fell in 2019 and 2020 before rising again.
A bookmark for children with the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline emergency telephone number is displayed by Lance Neiberger, a volunteer with the Natrona County Suicide Prevention Task Force, while they speak about mental health and suicide awareness in Casper, Wyoming on August 14, 2022.
The increases had an impact on practically all age groups over 35, as well as groups of Hispanic origin. The biggest rise was 10% among 55- to 64-year-old males, while men 75 and up had the highest suicide rate in 2022, at 43.7 per 100,000.
Overall, women have had lower rates than men, but in 2022, they rose more (4%) than men (1%). Women aged 45-54 had the greatest mortality rate, approximately 9 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Drops Among Young People
Meanwhile, the analysis indicates that the drop in adolescent and young adult suicide rates offers promise. Rates declined by 18% and 9% for 10 to 14 and 15 to 24-year-olds, respectively, the first drop in over 10 years for these age groups. Curtin connects the improvement to the US Surgeon General's 2021 advice on improving adolescent mental health awareness.
"There has been a national effort as well as more localized efforts for youth mental health," says Curtin, who believes that there is an increase in awareness that helped bring down suicide rates.
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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's senior vice president of research, Jill Harkavy-Friedman, welcomes the outcome but urges lasting measures. She emphasizes the importance of a national emphasis on addressing suicide to drive the numbers down.
AI Chatbot Shows Promise in Easing Depression for Mothers
A recent study published in Frontiers in Global Women's Health reveals that an AI chatbot on the mental health app Wysa significantly reduced depressive symptoms in pre-and postnatal women, according to Digital Health.
Engaged users experienced a 12.7% reduction in symptoms, transitioning from moderately severe depression' to moderate depression.' The chatbot, used for emotional support rather than maternal health, allowed users to express concerns and hopes and reframe thoughts.
This finding underscores the potential of AI in treating common conditions like anxiety and depression, offering quicker and more affordable access compared to traditional mental health services. AI therapy could address challenges such as staff shortages and long wait lists while providing a judgment-free environment, especially in regions where mental health remains stigmatized.
Ashley Andreou, a medical student at Georgetown University, emphasizes the need for increased access to evidence-based mental health treatment, envisioning AI with certified health professionals as an efficient solution.
"People don't have access to something that augments medication and is an evidence-based treatment for mental health issues, and so I think that we need to increase access, and I do think that generative AI with a certified health professional will increase efficiency," she remarked, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
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