But in fact, if you dig deeper, you can find very dangerous trends for American society. For example, recently published data on a sharp jump in the suicide rate among rural residents.
Compared to 1999, the suicide rate in the rural United States has increased by as much as 33%.
Between 2016 and 2017 alone, the suicide rate jumped 4%. At the same time, the suicide rate among men has especially increased, jumping in recent years.
In general, experts explain the jump in the number of suicides among US rural residents by isolation, limited access to medical care, as well as such an unexpected factor as the economic downturn.
Chart of the gradual and inexorable rise in the number of suicides in the United States since 1999.
Data on the increase in the number of suicides in the United States disclosed the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. According to their information, suicides are not concentrated in any specific states, but are almost evenly distributed throughout the country.
In 2017, on average, every 14 Americans per 100 thousand of the population died of suicide, and suicide ranks 10th in the "top" causes of death.
In 1999, in the United States, there were 17.8 suicides per 100 thousand men and 4 women. In 2017, these numbers were already 22.4 and 6.1, respectively.
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But the largest increase in suicide rates was found in people from rural areas, and it is nearly double the rate of suicide rates in urban areas. Overall, the issue of suicide has become so worrisome in the US that Netflix even dedicated one of its most popular TV series, 13 Reasons Why, to it.
According to experts, the level of suicides is more likely to continue to grow, because it is still very difficult to understand what causes them to increase and how to influence these factors. Age, social group and much more matter.
In the graph below, villagers are shown in light purple.
Psychologist Bart Andrews sees a link to rising suicide rates and the epidemic of opioid addiction. He also points to risk factors such as economic downturn and problems with access to health services.