Suicide rate in rural areas climbs higher than urban U.S.

Although rates of suicide have climbed across the U.S. in the past two decades, that increase has been particularly stark in rural areas, a new CDC report finds. Here are the details: 

• Overall trends: The rate of suicides in rural areas rose from a rate of 13 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000 to around 19 deaths per 100,000 in 2018. Over the same time period, rates of suicides in urban areas went from 10 deaths per 100,000 people to around 13 deaths per 100,000. 
• Sex differences: The suicide rate among men in rural areas increased by 34% since 2007, while the rate increased 17% among men in urban areas from 2006 - 2016. The suicide rate among women in the rural U.S. nearly doubled between 2000 and 2018, while the rate among urban women grew by 50%. 
• Causes of death: Firearm-related deaths were the leading type of suicide among men in rural and urban areas and among women in rural areas. Women in urban areas most often died by suffocation.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (Español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.