America's rising suicide rate

[Figgy]

Read this one, and have seen the trend of increasing suicide rates in middle class America - is the despair really that bad? has rising inequality obliterated the middle class to this extent?

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016 ... eton-study

[Spiritpaws]

I had no idea about the increasing suicide rates among middle class Americans. Its clear from the article that health care costs are a big contributor. We really need a single-payer system and a much better mental health system.

[Figgy]

I think you need a more affordable option, I don't see the logic in a user pays system (if the user can't pay then lets turn them away scenarios) and I don't see the logic in impoverishing people who suffer ill health.

Watching the US I have seen a significant decline in your middle class, and that's a world wide phenomena to a greater or lesser part.

But yes, suicide rates in white middle class American men are rising at a significantly higher rate.

(side note, going to be doing some more health policy courses as part of my masters this year, looking forward to them).

[boots-aregard]

apparently there is also a huge rise in drug addiction from prescription pain killers.

[ejm]

One article I read suggested that it is due more to the decline of the middle class, so as people who used to be solidly middle class drop into lower economic classes their health outcomes are more like expected health outcomes for lower socioeconomic classes.

Opiod drug addiction could be a factor, it certainly affects people from every income level.

[Chisamba]

I think that the rising suicide rate is directly linked to the social acceptance of suicide and has very little to do with despair or decline of middle class or even expense of health care.

[Tabby]

Suicide has become socially acceptable? How do you figure?

[orono]

My feeling is that some of the 'do what you love' type messages have had a huge negative impacts on many people's well being. People are no longer accepting of 'my job is usually ok but it sucks sometimes', ditto other aspects of life. There is also the issue of the current generation possibly doing a bit less well financially than the previous one, there is a feeling of having to measure up to parents - who retired early, had a 2nd holiday home, took lavish trips. It simply isn't possible for a lot of people anymore, and the comparison makes it worse.

[chantal]

Did any of you read the article? It talks about the increased DEATH rate since 1999 in middle class middle-aged Americans, and specifically as far as suicide goes, one town in Montana. The suicide rate there is twice the national average. Chronic pain is a huge factor. A higher proportion of the suicides are among people with less than a "university education", so lower income higher labor jobs are a factor. We have such a huge middle class that I wonder if middle class is the correct description.

I don't think it's a blanket description of middle class America.

[Figgy]

I think the stats are showing that your middle class is shrinking, a privileged few get wealthier, some stay in the middle but many are being pushed into low income jobs and unemployment, and considering the debts incurred through health and education costs, the stress is incredible.

This shrinking middle class is being linked to the popularity of the lunacy that is the republican party.

(I thought Trump was a disaster of a presidential candidate, but the more I learn about ted cruz, the more I'm concerned about your lunatic far right - omg Cruz is mad)

[FlyingLily]

That article is a confusing mess. One obviously very unhealthy white male in Montana, a few stabs at drug addiction rates, broad brush-stroke claims about the economy, some references to health care costs. Sometimes I fear that all the editors have been fired, all over the world.