US Suicide Rates Up, While Global Numbers at Record Low
By Viviana Garcia-BlancoUS Suicide Rates Up, While Global Numbers at Record Low
By Viviana Garcia-Blanco
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information.
Sign up for our newsletters
to stay up to date on the stories that matter.
The Economist recently found that global rates of suicide have declined by 29 percent since the year 2000. The same report also pointed to the fact that suicides in the U.S. have increased, especially among “middle-aged, white, poorly educated rural people.” Some have argued that the U.S. rates have gone up because of a lack of healthcare, the opiate crisis, and access to guns, while global rates have gone down because of wider development. Joining us to discuss is Jonathan Singer. He is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago and board member of the American Association of Suicidology.