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According to the link, around 1 in 100 people commit suicide. It could be argued that this is a rather high number. Certainly any other diseases that achieved t

According to the link, around 1 in 100 people commit suicide. It could be argued that this is a rather high number. Certainly any other diseases that achieved this would receive significant attention. What is interesting however, is how suicide rates haven't changed with other things like medical improvements and improvements to quality of life.

paulcole 10y ago
I think you're vastly overestimating how much people care. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm Check out, Chronic lower respiratory diseases at nearly 4x suicide. Can't remember hearing a thing about that in the news.
- 2607_hn 10y ago
  You probably have heard of campaigns to reduce smoking. These diseases (e.g., COPD and the related emphysema/chronic bronchitis) are strongly linked to smoking. In the mid 90s, I remember seeing some anti-smoking campaigns that used people with tracheotomies (see ref 1); these folks almost definitely had lower respiratory disease. Your point is well-taken - we hardly spoke about addiction as a medical health problem until recently. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7bHdo2DJHY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7bHdo2DJHY - this is only part of one of the ads I recall
- sevenless 10y ago
  It's also a killer of younger people. I'd bet suicide accounts for more life-years lost.
tim333 10y ago
>significant attention I think people are aware of it but it's a bit depressing to talk about given that solutions aren't easy. I can see it getting more coverage as other causes become less common in young people. It's the #1 cause for ages 15-45 in Australia for example (that's just the country that came up on random googling) http://www.aihw.gov.au/deaths/leading-causes-of-death/ http://www.aihw.gov.au/deaths/leading-causes-of-death/ I think it's more cheerful to give attention to making society happier and healthier which should have a knock on effect on the suicide rate.

paulcole 10y ago

I think you're vastly overestimating how much people care. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm Check out, Chronic lower respiratory diseases at nearly 4x suicide. Can't remember hearing a thing about that in the news.

2607_hn 10y ago
You probably have heard of campaigns to reduce smoking. These diseases (e.g., COPD and the related emphysema/chronic bronchitis) are strongly linked to smoking. In the mid 90s, I remember seeing some anti-smoking campaigns that used people with tracheotomies (see ref 1); these folks almost definitely had lower respiratory disease. Your point is well-taken - we hardly spoke about addiction as a medical health problem until recently. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7bHdo2DJHY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7bHdo2DJHY - this is only part of one of the ads I recall
sevenless 10y ago
It's also a killer of younger people. I'd bet suicide accounts for more life-years lost.

tim333 10y ago

>significant attention I think people are aware of it but it's a bit depressing to talk about given that solutions aren't easy. I can see it getting more coverage as other causes become less common in young people. It's the #1 cause for ages 15-45 in Australia for example (that's just the country that came up on random googling) http://www.aihw.gov.au/deaths/leading-causes-of-death/ http://www.aihw.gov.au/deaths/leading-causes-of-death/ I think it's more cheerful to give attention to making society happier and healthier which should have a knock on effect on the suicide rate.