The Suicide Rate Among Women in America Is Skyrocketing

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Overall, the national suicide rate rose by 24 percent from 1999 to 2014, a stat that’s scary enough on its own. But drilling down into the demographics paints a more dire picture. The number of women ages 45 to 64 jumped by 63 percent, while the suicide rate among young girls—we’re talking ages 10 to 14—tripled. The leading cause of death among women? Poisoning.

Until 1999, the overall suicide rate in the U.S. had been on a steady decline, but just before the turn of the century, the trend flipped and rates started rising.

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So why are we seeing such an increase? Experts hypothesize that rising job stress and a struggling economy, as well as declining marriage rates and rising divorce rates, likely factor big into the suicide rate for middle-aged Americans. Meanwhile, in a 2015 report, experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated, “Media coverage that provides details about suicide methods has the potential to increase contagion among vulnerable youth.”

When it comes to young women in particular, experts theorize that the rise of social media (including online bullying) could be at play. “Now with the use of social media, social interaction is happening online…there are stressful situations like cyber-bullying which is a stress factor and can worsen depression,” Maria Oquendo, M.D., a psychiatry professor at Columbia University Medical Center, tells NBC News. That’s one thing that may be contributing.” And there are studies that back up that idea: Previous research from University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Public Health found that social networks had “signficant effects” on suicidal thoughts in teen girls.  

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These stats are obviously depressing, but we’re hoping that getting a conversation going will make people understand that this is a public health crisis that seriously needs to be addressed.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.