A new report by the CDC reveals the suicide rate in the U.S. last year reached a record high. More than 49,000 people took their own lives.
LSU Health New Orleans Chair of Psychiatry Dr. Rahn Bailey says the rate of suicides involving guns in the U.S. has reached its highest level.
“More people are using guns and hanging via suffocation versus the past, people would try to take an overdose of pills,” said Dr. Bailey.
The federal data shows the rate of suicide by any method has increased by one-third in the past two decades, more than half of those involve firearms, a figure that translates to about one every 20 minutes.
Indigenous people have the highest suicide rate at 27 deaths per 100,000 followed by white men at 18 deaths per 100,000.
Dr. Bailey says there has been an increase in drug overdose deaths largely driven by opioids.
“And fentanyl tops the list and have a very high level of mortality,” the doctor said. “It’s a lot more likely a smaller amount to lead to a amount that can lead to a mortal or death related event.”
Bailey says the stigma of mental illness needs to be removed so individuals are more likely to seek help.
“You should go for professional care, similarly if they had a broken leg or if they had pain. We don’t try to ignore it due to stigma or embarrassment, we should be much more proactive and seek I think professional care,” said Dr. Bailey.
If you or someone you know is going through a mental crisis, call or text 988 to receive support during a crisis.