October 25, 2008

  • Suicide on Rise - Baby Boomers

    Teen suicide gets plenty of airtime, but a new US study finds
    that middle-aged whites are emerging as a high-risk group.
    Could this be due to the
    recession?

    Before 1999, white middle-aged men were the least likely to
    kill themselves. However, for the period from 1999 to 2005,
    the rate for African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Native
    Americans declined or stayed stable while middle-aged whites
    experienced a significant increase in suicides.

    Researcher Holly Wilcox says, "Adolescent, young adult and
    elderly populations are on our radar, because completed
    suicides have traditionally been higher in elderly white men
    and because of high suicide attempt rates and potential
    years of life lost in young people. We have some school-
    based and primary care prevention efforts in place to
    carefully monitor both ends of the age spectrum. I don't
    usually worry about the middle-aged group. It's alarming to
    me."

    Despite the fact that labor unions have become powerless
    and both middle class and
    manufacturing jobs have fled overseas, the
    government insisted everything was fine economically until
    now—when it can no longer deny we have problems. But the
    folks being affected by these problems
    sure knew
    it    —and tragically, some of them may have given up trying.