As U.S. suicide rates continue to rise, new government data shows older men have become the most susceptible.
In a report published Wednesday, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found there were about 30 suicide deaths for every 100,000 men aged 55 and older in 2021. That number is more than double the overall rate of just over 14 suicide deaths for every 100,000 people that year.
The older a man, the greater his risk for suicide: Those 85 and older saw 56 suicide deaths for every 100,000 people, a statistic that surpassed any other age group.
Suicide is complex, Dr. Yeates Conwell, a psychiatry professor at the University of Rochester, told CNN.
Five factors can fuel suicide risk — depression, disease, disability, disconnection and deadly means — and these risk factors can be “relatively more salient for older adults,” he said.
“Imagine a Venn diagram with these five circles, each representing one of those ‘Ds’ that overlap. The more of the intersecting circles one is in, the greater the risk,” said Conwell, who also leads a geriatric psychiatry program and co-directs the university’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
A combination of more physical illness and disability, along with more social isolation and more loss, leaves older adults more vulnerable to suicide, he explained.
Even so, older women seem less susceptible to suicide than their male peers.
While the suicide rate among older women has increased over the past two decades, it still falls far below the rate among older men. There were about 6 suicide deaths for every 100,000 women 55 and older in 2021, according to the new report.
Firearms may be fueling this gender difference, experts say.
More than half of suicides involve guns, but firearms are an even more common method among older men, used in at least three-quarters of suicides among men 65 and older in 2021, the report found.
Men are also more likely than women to own a gun, and seniors are more likely to have a gun in the household, according to a survey from Pew Research Center. Not only that, but nearly all suicide attempts using guns are fatal, making them the most lethal means of suicide.
Men have a “greater comfort with and access to firearms,” Conwell added, probably because they’re more likely to have military training or hunting experience.
But men are also more vulnerable to a less tangible factor, Conwell noted.
“Older men in our society tend not to have the skills in developing and maintaining close relationships with as many other people as do women in our culture,” he said. “There’s too much identity tied up in one’s work, so that is lost [after retirement]. And then there’s the cultural script of what maleness means in in our culture, so men just won’t admit or won’t receive care for depression because of that sense that it’s somehow not what a man does.”
More information
If you or someone you love are experiencing suicidal thoughts, the 988 line can help.
SOURCE: NCHS Data Brief, Suicide Among Adults Age 55 and Older, 2021, Nov. 15, 2023; CNN
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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