A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has releases some disturbing facts, after suicide rates have been decreasing over decades, they have started to rise over the last years. The report says that there has been a 3% increase of suicide rates in middle age white men and a 4% increase in middle aged white women from 1999 to 2005. The suicide rates in Native Americans and African American have remained constant, but this new turn of events puts the spotlight on middle aged white people and their increased suicide rate. Data shows that from 1986 to 1999 suicide rates have decreased constantly, but from 1999 to 2005 there has been an increase of 0.7% annually.

The numbers are frightening as in 2005 a total of 32,637 people committed suicide in 2005. This means that 11 people from 100, 000 killed themselves. The report also states that the most common ways people committed suicide were by using guns, suffocation or by hanging. Some theories claim that suicide rates tend to fluctuate according to the economy and points the finger at suicide rates during the Great Depression. This means that a further increase in suicide rates can be expected and that according to recent data, middle aged white people are the new high-risk group.

Historically it is known that people over 65 had the highest suicide rates and that suicide prevention mainly focused on the young and old, never enough on the middle aged. This problem can be solved through special programs, an efficient use of information and, of course, treatment for those who need it.