Understanding rates of suicide can be tricky, a new study initially found a decline in the overall number of intentional drug overdoses. But after isolating data, they found suicide rates actually went up for young people, Black women and the elderly. The American Psychological Association cites teen suicide as the second-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 to 24 and that mental illness is the leading risk factor for suicide.
Story at a glance
- A new study found rates of intentional drug overdoses increased among young adults, Black women and the elderly from 2015 to 2019.
- Documenting suicide rates can be challenging as researchers say it can be difficult to determine if an overdose was intentional or not.
- In 2020, nearly 90,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S., the largest increase in a calendar year.
In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers analyzed drug-involved overdose deaths from 1999 to 2019. Despite a 35.2 percent decrease in overall suicide rates, a very different set of results were revealed when researchers isolated data based on age, gender and race.
Researchers found that intentional drug overdoses from 2015 to 2019 increased in young men between the ages of 15-24 from 0.5 to 0.8, per 100,000 people. A similar trend was found among young women in the same age group from 0.6 to 1 and in Black women from 0.4 to 0.7.
Elderly adults’ rate of intentional drug overdose deaths also rose among men ages 75-84 from 0.7 to 1.6, per 100,000 people. For elderly women it went from 0.8 to 1.7.
Similarly, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that in 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Black Americans between the ages of 15 to 24, while Black women in grades 9-12 were 60 percent more likely to attempt suicide in 2019 compared to white females of the same age.
More recently the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that nearly 90,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2020, which is the largest increase in a calendar year and reflects a nearly fivefold increase in the rate of overdose deaths since 1999.
NIH explained that it can be difficult to determine whether an overdose death was intentional, and therefore the actual number of suicides is expected to be even higher. Many people who suffer from substance use disorder may also develop other mental illnesses, like mood and anxiety disorders, which independently are associated with increased suicide risk.
“The distinction between accidental and intentional overdose has important clinical implications, as we must implement strategies for preventing both. To do so requires that we screen for suicidality among individuals who use opioids or other drugs, and that we provide treatment and support for those who need it, both for mental illnesses and for substance use disorders,” said Nora Volkow, senior author on the study and director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Researchers also found that overdose rates varied by month, with the lowest rates noted in December and the highest rates came in spring and summer, noting both social and biological factors may play a role in those monthly fluctuations. For instance, low rates in December and could be related to a person’s more positive and hopeful mood during the holiday season.
Another trend researchers investigated was when overdose deaths were most likely to occur in terms of days of the week. They found suicide rates were highest on Mondays and lowest on weekends. Social factors, like people having plans with friends and family over the weekend, could play a role in that.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs immediate help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
