United States: A newly released report has shown that the United States recorded its highest number of suicides in 2022, with more than 49,000 people taking their own lives.
According to the analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicides were becoming more common in the US than at any time since World War II.
The suicide rate steadily rose from the early 2000s until 2018, when the national rate hit its highest level since 1941. That year saw about 48,300 suicide deaths, or 14.2 for every 100,000 Americans.
The rate fell slightly in 2019 and dropped again in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But in 2021, suicides rose 4 percent. In 2022, the number jumped by more than 1,000 to 49,449, about a 3 percent increase compared to the year before.
The CDC data noted that men accounted for approximately 79 percent of the total number of suicides in 2022.
“Nine in 10 Americans believe America is facing a mental health crisis. The new suicide death data reported by the CDC illustrates why,” US Health Secretary Mr. Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
The Health Secretary added that many people still believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness.
According to reports, there was a more than 8 percent drop in suicides among people ages 10 to 24 in 2022. “That may be due to increased attention to youth mental health issues and a push for schools and others to focus on the problem,” CDC officials noted.
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