<p>The number of middle-aged Americans who committed suicide has dramatically risen by 28 per cent in the past decade, surpassing even the deaths caused by road accidents, according to latest official figures.<br /><br />US Center for Disease Control and Prevention said suicide is an increasing public health concern.<br /><br />The number of deaths from suicide surpassed the number of deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the US, in 2009.<br /><br />In 2010 alone motor vehicle accidents killed 33,687 people, while 38,364 people died from suicides.</p>.<p>Traditionally, suicide prevention efforts have been focused mostly on youths and older adults, but recent evidence suggests that there have been substantial increases in suicide rates among middle-aged adults in the US.<br /><br />To investigate trends in suicide rates among adults aged 35–64 years over the last decade, CDC analysed National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) mortality data from 1999–2010.<br /><br />Trends in suicide rates were examined by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, state and region of residence, and mechanism of suicide.<br /><br />The results of this analysis indicated that the annual, age-adjusted suicide rate among <br />persons aged 35–64 years increased 28.4 per cent, from 13.7 per 100,000 population in 1999 to 17.6 in 2010.<br /><br />Among racial/ethnic populations, the greatest increases were observed among American Indian/Alaska Natives (65.2 per cent, from 11.2 to 18.5) and whites (40.4 per cent, from 15.9 to 22.3).<br /><br />By mechanism, the greatest increase was observed for use of suffocation, followed by poisoning and firearms. The findings underscore the need for suicide preventive measures directed toward middle-aged populations.<br /><br />CDC used the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System to compile NVSS data on suicides reported during 1999–2010 among US residents aged more than 10 years.<br /><br />Trends in age-adjusted suicide rates from 1999, when signs of an increase began, through 2010, the latest data available, were analysed for adults aged 35–64 years by sex and mechanism of suicide.<br /><br />The three most common suicide mechanisms were firearms, poisoning, and suffocation.</p>
<p>The number of middle-aged Americans who committed suicide has dramatically risen by 28 per cent in the past decade, surpassing even the deaths caused by road accidents, according to latest official figures.<br /><br />US Center for Disease Control and Prevention said suicide is an increasing public health concern.<br /><br />The number of deaths from suicide surpassed the number of deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the US, in 2009.<br /><br />In 2010 alone motor vehicle accidents killed 33,687 people, while 38,364 people died from suicides.</p>.<p>Traditionally, suicide prevention efforts have been focused mostly on youths and older adults, but recent evidence suggests that there have been substantial increases in suicide rates among middle-aged adults in the US.<br /><br />To investigate trends in suicide rates among adults aged 35–64 years over the last decade, CDC analysed National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) mortality data from 1999–2010.<br /><br />Trends in suicide rates were examined by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, state and region of residence, and mechanism of suicide.<br /><br />The results of this analysis indicated that the annual, age-adjusted suicide rate among <br />persons aged 35–64 years increased 28.4 per cent, from 13.7 per 100,000 population in 1999 to 17.6 in 2010.<br /><br />Among racial/ethnic populations, the greatest increases were observed among American Indian/Alaska Natives (65.2 per cent, from 11.2 to 18.5) and whites (40.4 per cent, from 15.9 to 22.3).<br /><br />By mechanism, the greatest increase was observed for use of suffocation, followed by poisoning and firearms. The findings underscore the need for suicide preventive measures directed toward middle-aged populations.<br /><br />CDC used the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System to compile NVSS data on suicides reported during 1999–2010 among US residents aged more than 10 years.<br /><br />Trends in age-adjusted suicide rates from 1999, when signs of an increase began, through 2010, the latest data available, were analysed for adults aged 35–64 years by sex and mechanism of suicide.<br /><br />The three most common suicide mechanisms were firearms, poisoning, and suffocation.</p>