Suicide rate up across the country, CDC says

Credit: Neilson Barnard

Credit: Neilson Barnard

The United States experienced a nearly 30 percent increase in suicide rates between 1999-2016, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released two days after the death of designer Kate Spade. Her death was ruled a suicide.

On Friday, chef, author and TV personality Anthony Bourdain was also reported dead. CNN confirmed the cause of death was suicide.

According to the recently published figures, 54 percent of reported suicide deaths since 1999 could not be traced back to mental health diagnoses. Circumstances involving relationships, substance abuse, job or financial troubles, health issues and access to lethal means, such as firearms, significantly contributed to the dramatic rise, the CDC reported.

Still, experts note that previous research has shown higher rates of mental health disorders among those at high risk of suicide.

"The reason most suicide decedents don't have a known mental disorder is that they were never diagnosed, not that they didn't have one," Dr. David Brent, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, told the New York Times.

If you or anyone you know is contemplating suicide, or if you are concerned for someone else, here are some helpful resources: 

Call 1-800-273-8255

Read the full CDC report at cdc.gov.

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