Suicide deaths increased by 37% between 2000 and 2018, with 41 states experiencing statistically significant increases over the same period, according to a pair of reports released this month by the State Health Access Data Assistance Center.

Over that 19-year period, the data shows suicide deaths killed over 700,000 people, more than the roughly 450,000 killed by opioids. The report comparing states’ trends said increases in suicide deaths ranged from 10-20% to more than 80%, but some states with higher increases are still below the national average.

The authors note that “the most concerning findings from our study is the indication that the increase in suicide rates over the past two decades may be accelerating.”

The study does not include projections from “deaths of despair” related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Related News Articles

Headline
The Food and Drug Administration July 31 announced that it is requiring safety label changes to all opioid pain medications to further emphasize and explain…
Headline
The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,…
Headline
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services July 10 rescinded a policy that extended certain federal public benefits to immigrants lacking permanent legal…
Headline
Jon Ulven, Ph.D., behavioral health psychologist and chair of adult psychology at Sanford Health, details the fragile behavioral health landscape in rural…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services June 27 announced the rollout of a 6-year technology-enabled prior authorization program pilot. Through…
Headline
Kevin McEwan, DNP, R.N., chief nursing officer at Madison Memorial Hospital, shares how Medicaid provides vital behavioral health and maternal and child care…