Why are suicides among American women rising? | Jamieson Webster

A clinical psychologist reflects on the combination of cultural factors at play in this disturbing trend

Spring is in the air. A fervent energy is palpable. People are out and about, soaking up every splinter of sun in the streets. And yet, contrary to common sense, spring is the time of the year when we are most prone to suicide - not winter, not when life feels the most bleak.

Perhaps it was fitting that we were greeted with sobering news from the CDC last week. After a decline in suicide in the United States prior to 1999, the rate is up more than 24% for all populations under the age of 75. Suicide, they report, is now one of the 10 leading causes of death. Given that suicide is often difficult to determine, these statistics may not reveal the full picture.