6 ms·

Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.

40 points by uladzislau 14y ago

tokenadult 14y ago
"The most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rates jumped by nearly 50 percent, to about 30 per 100,000." As an American man in his fifties, I find this a startling statistic. This suggests that there may be a cohort effect that makes the Baby Boom generation more vulnerable to middle-age suicide than preceding generations of Americans.
- DanBC 14y ago
  Older people tend to have more medication around the home. Access to means and methods is a risk factor for suicide, thus having meds == increased risk for attempted and completed suicide. I really want to avoid gun control debate, but having access to guns is a significant risk factor for completed suicide. Also, in women, lesbians tend to complete suicide in their 40s and 50s rather than their teens. At least, that's the case in the UK. Here's the UK University of Oxford Centre for Suicide research (http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/csr/ http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/csr/) which has lots of information about suicide and deliberate self harm.
  - Shivetya 14y ago
    CDC numbers, men are 56% likely to use a gun, women are more likely to use poison, 37%. Some differences in links provided by same source so it gets a bit confusing. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide_DataSheet-a.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide_DataSheet-...
  - mindcrime 14y ago
    I really want to avoid gun control debate, but having access to guns is a significant risk factor for completed suicide. It's an interesting question whether or not this should even be part of the gun control debate. IF, if, you accept the idea of a "right to die" (I do, FWIW), then people who voluntarily choose to end their lives using a firearm should not be counted as "gun deaths" in anything like the same way as homicides, or even accidental deaths. Now granted, that's a controversial topic in it's own right, but it's something to consider. If somebody choose to die, does it really matter how they do it? Of course, it also raises the issue of whether or not people who (try to) commit suicide really want to die or not, or are just "looking for help" or whatever the phrase is. I don't really have a stand on that.
    - tdfx 14y ago
      > Of course, it also raises the issue of whether or not people who (try to) commit suicide really want to die or not, or are just "looking for help" or whatever the phrase is. I don't really have a stand on that. I certainly see the general distinction you're making, but I'd say putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger is removing any ambiguity from your intentions. I'd say the "cry for help" methods would be things like overdosing on pills, cutting wrists, etc.
      - mindcrime 14y ago
        I guess what I mean is, sometimes the person doing it may not really be sure (in theory, I don't know for sure) and the ones overdosing on pills or whatever may full well expect that it will kill them. And, as weird as it may sound, people do survive gunshot wounds to the head, especially from smaller calibre / weaker rounds, like, say, a .22LR. I believe it's not unheard of for a .22LR round to literally bounce off the skull and cause fairly little serious damage. And, of course it also complicates things that we can't talk to the people who succeed, and find out anything about their actual intentions. :-(
    - spligak 14y ago
      The argument for a persons "right to die" may hold up to some degree. However, I believe the spirit of that sort of protection applies to those who are terminally ill. The idea being able to preserve a persons dignity and shorten the time spent in excruciating pain. Treatable mental illness: depression, anxiety, etc. do not fall into this category. They are not terminal. Proximity to an instrument of death when a person is contemplating suicide (due to treatable mental illness) is a very real issue. If there is no barrier in place, the rate of change from thought to action is astonishing. It's also important to note intoxication plays a role in this same sort of escalation. In these cases you're looking for anything which increases access (proximity) or reduces inhibition (chemicals). Eliminating these gives professionals and loved ones time to help.
    - pavel_lishin 14y ago
      I'm not sure if people who suffer from treatable depression, and commit suicide, should be included in the euthanasia bracket.
  - guard-of-terra 14y ago
    On the other hand, If I'd attempt a suicide and have this choice I'd choose firearm by a large margin. It's a humane way to die, as opposed to e.g. hanging. Just imagine it: Somebody living a miserable life and even dying painful and miserable death.
    - mindcrime 14y ago
      Interestingly enough, I'm known for being very "pro gun" and I do own a firearm. But if I ever chose suicide, I can't imagine shooting myself. It's hard to say why, but it doesn't seem like the path I'd go. I would lean more towards poison, or driving my car into a concrete embankment going 100+. Probably poison though, or a slow "drink myself to death" ending, ala Leaving Las Vegas. :-)
  - strlen 14y ago
    > I really want to avoid gun control debate, Gun control debate in the US centers around several proposals: restricting semi-automatic firearms, restricting handguns in particular, and additional checks at firearm purchase time. Problem is the first two: A) Do not matter in regards to suicide. A semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine is no more useful than a double barrel shotgun (a firearm type that is legal in most countries, even those that prohibit all other types of firearms). B) Significantly turn gun owners (who are the ones mailing their constituents) against all kind of firearm regulation, including the last kind of measures, such as additional background checks, requirements to demonstrate safe handling, etc... California has a ten day waiting period for firearm purchases and as a result has a lower firearm suicide rate despite the fact that handguns and semi-automatic firearms are readily available. While they're restricted to ten round magazines and -- in the case of military-style firearms -- require using a tool to release the magazine, it's unlikely that these laws matter much in regards to suicide.
    - gertef 14y ago
      > > I really want to avoid gun control debate, > [gun control debate] That wasn't very nice.
    - rdl 14y ago
      You probably don't need a double barrel shotgun for suicide, either. A single break-action would do. If someone's fired both barrels of a double barrel shotgun in a suicide, it's probably not a suicide :)
- rdouble 14y ago
  This suggests that there may be a cohort effect that makes the Baby Boom generation more vulnerable to middle-age suicide Seems simple enough... They don't have enough money for retirement and their kids hate them.
- untog 14y ago
  Complete speculation, but perhaps it could be a lack of financial security? Savings wiped out in the financial crisis, not earning enough to cover it into retirement?
- r00fus 14y ago
  Could it be due to the fact that jobs for this crowd are hard to find/retain, while they are still a decade-plus from retirement? I know several 50-60s aged folks, great people who've been unemployed/underemployed for years. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they may have suicidal thoughts. The disruption oriented job market is moving too fast for these folks, and there are fewer less-skilled jobs available for them to fall back onto that pay a living wage. Add to that the insult to injury that social security is under attack and their kids (if they have any) might not be able to take care of them either.
- jriley 14y ago
  "The rise in suicide may also stem from the economic downturn over the past decade." I saw this in my local area. Some traditional breadwinners in established careers suffered in the last recession. For those at risk having trouble getting help I'll highlight two options (no affiliation): http://www.crisischat.org/ http://www.crisischat.org/ http://ecouch.anu.edu.au/ http://ecouch.anu.edu.au/
- angersock 14y ago
  Perhaps it's realizing that the work that they've done has caused great harm to the United States of America their parents left them, and that they've left a troubling legacy of selfishness and consumerism that has degraded the notion of family and community? Or maybe they just can't afford that Harley or entry-level Porsche that is supposed to come in your 50s.
  - cpursley 14y ago
    Yes, and many of them went broke living above their means for so long. When the recession hit, they wouldn't adjust their lifestyles because 'they deserve' and subsequently lost most or at least half their wealth after all those years of working late and 'postponing' family life. You speak brutal truth, my friend.
    - gertef 14y ago
      So they should die because they gave too much to their spouses and children?
      - cpursley 14y ago
        No, goodness no. Just stating that I understand. This is what my parents went through. Was quite worried about my father for a while, to be honest (he's better now).
    - angersock 14y ago
      I come at it from the other side--my folks (both early Boomers) lived well-within their means, and even though the first decade of my life saw my dad working absurdly long weeks consulting I still feel like we kept a happy house. Both folks worked hard to help their children succeed, even when we were being dorks. Later, as I headed off to college, some legitimately unforseen medical issues sprung up and a system designed to extract maximum wealth out of a captive, bloated audience tore that same happy family apart. My parents did everything right, and now I get to watch as a culture geared for your typical baby boomer goes and grinds them down, day by fucking day. My hope is that through entrepreneurship I can make enough to eventually pay back the filial debt I owe--a debt which is worsened by the isolationist lifestyle I pursued as a haven during my college and post-college years.
mindcrime 14y ago
“The boomers had great expectations for what their life might look like, but I think perhaps it hasn’t panned out that way,” Very true for GenX as well, in my experience. Speaking from my own experience as a member of that group, I think we all thought we would have more of a positive impact on the world, than what we have had to date. For all the talk about how we were just disaffected, lazy whiners back when most of us were teenagers, this generation always had a lot of optimism and a lot of drive to effect social change, from what I saw. Now, we are creeping up on middle age (I'll turn 40 this year myself) and the world doesn't really look any better in a lot of ways, and looks worse in some. :-( On a personal level, I don't really expect to commit suicide, but I'll freely admit that there is a "background thread" that fires and mulls the possibility from time to time. I haven't really accomplished shit compared to my expectations for myself on an individual level, and as age catches up with me, the idea seems more reasonable. I have a vague notion that if this current startup doesn't succeed, I may pull a "Leaving Las Vegas" deal and checkout that way. I prefer to take an optimistic view though... The startup is going to succeed, make us all very wealthy, and I'll live out my final years on a yacht in the Carribean, being tended to by a bevy of beautiful young redheads who like rich old guys. :-)
- grecy 14y ago
  I highly, highly recommend you take a couple of years off, and go and see what the rest of the world has to offer. You'll be shocked how many hundreds of millions of people out there have way less money and stuff than you, but are massively happier with their lives. (I personally took two years to drive from Alaska to Argentina, I'll never be the same person again. http://theroadchoseme.com http://theroadchoseme.com)
  - eli_gottlieb 14y ago
    But the key to being happy with way less money and stuff is to be secure in the money and stuff you do have, which Americans overwhelmingly are not. You can have a whole lot of stuff, but get laid off... miss a payment... and it all comes crashing down.
    - 14y ago
guard-of-terra 14y ago
"Suicide rates among middle-age Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm" I don't live in the USA, but are't baby boomers supposed to be older than "middle-age" now?
- noblethrasher 14y ago
  The youngest boomers will be in their late forties or early fifties.
- pat_punnu 14y ago
  49 to 67
- omni 14y ago
  They are using the term "middle-aged" to describe a person between the ages of 35 and 64.[1] The "Baby Boom" is generally described as having occurred between 1946 and 1964.[2] Therefore, there will still be middle-aged Baby Boomers until 2029. [1]: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a1.htm?s_cid=mm6217a1_w http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a1.htm?s_cid=... [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post%E2%80%93World_War_II_baby_boom#Definition_of_the_boom_years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post%E2%80%93World_War_II_baby_...
Alex3917 14y ago
Compared to those born between 1900 and 1931, Americans born between 1962 and 1978 were 3 times more likely to have grown up in severely abusive homes, 5 time more likely to have attempted suicide, 4.5 times more like to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, 50% more likely to have suffered depression, and 50% more likely to have experienced alcohol addiction. Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743503001233 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743503...
- RexRollman 14y ago
  Couldn't some of that just be that we've have gotten better at diagnosing some of those things?
rhizome 14y ago
There's a story like this 3mos after every high-profile suicide to garner some sales (papers, pageviews) via predictable copycat trends.
D9u 14y ago
I wonder what percentage of suicides are military, or veterans?
downandout 14y ago
Advances in technology have eliminated or drastically changed many of the jobs these people have, and there is no end in sight. As a result, there is no economic opportunity for many of them. In modern society, that leaves few options. While many suicides can be attributed to mental illness or depression, an increasing number of them fall within the definition of "rational suicide". Fewer people can now serve the needs of far more people than ever before possible. For example, we are rapidly approaching the day when humans will no longer be involved in many forms of construction, and most of those jobs won't be replaced in any other field. Millions of manual labor jobs worldwide can be replaced by a relatively small number of engineers in a single location working to automate those tasks. As our world catapults toward this reality, unemployment and the resulting suicide rate can only increase.
- iknowno_one 14y ago
  Excellently put, the solution in the short term is counseling and creating a culture in which down-time, leisure and enjoyment of life is prized more than "putting in your hours." The purpose of automation is to make our lives easier. We have to think that a bum living on the street is not a drain on society, in a lot of ways he is doing more "work" just to keep himself alive than the average wage-slave. We need to stop thinking that "work" is somehow the goal of a person's life and transition to "enjoyment" being the goal.

40 points by uladzislau 14y ago

"The most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rates jumped by nearly 50 percent, to about 30 per 100,000." As an American man in his fifties, I find this a startling statistic. This suggests that there may be a cohort effect that makes the Baby Boom generation more vulnerable to middle-age suicide than preceding generations of Americans.

DanBC 14y ago
Older people tend to have more medication around the home. Access to means and methods is a risk factor for suicide, thus having meds == increased risk for attempted and completed suicide. I really want to avoid gun control debate, but having access to guns is a significant risk factor for completed suicide. Also, in women, lesbians tend to complete suicide in their 40s and 50s rather than their teens. At least, that's the case in the UK. Here's the UK University of Oxford Centre for Suicide research (http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/csr/ http://cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk/csr/) which has lots of information about suicide and deliberate self harm.
- Shivetya 14y ago
  CDC numbers, men are 56% likely to use a gun, women are more likely to use poison, 37%. Some differences in links provided by same source so it gets a bit confusing. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide_DataSheet-a.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide_DataSheet-...
- mindcrime 14y ago
  I really want to avoid gun control debate, but having access to guns is a significant risk factor for completed suicide. It's an interesting question whether or not this should even be part of the gun control debate. IF, if, you accept the idea of a "right to die" (I do, FWIW), then people who voluntarily choose to end their lives using a firearm should not be counted as "gun deaths" in anything like the same way as homicides, or even accidental deaths. Now granted, that's a controversial topic in it's own right, but it's something to consider. If somebody choose to die, does it really matter how they do it? Of course, it also raises the issue of whether or not people who (try to) commit suicide really want to die or not, or are just "looking for help" or whatever the phrase is. I don't really have a stand on that.
  - tdfx 14y ago
    > Of course, it also raises the issue of whether or not people who (try to) commit suicide really want to die or not, or are just "looking for help" or whatever the phrase is. I don't really have a stand on that. I certainly see the general distinction you're making, but I'd say putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger is removing any ambiguity from your intentions. I'd say the "cry for help" methods would be things like overdosing on pills, cutting wrists, etc.
    - mindcrime 14y ago
      I guess what I mean is, sometimes the person doing it may not really be sure (in theory, I don't know for sure) and the ones overdosing on pills or whatever may full well expect that it will kill them. And, as weird as it may sound, people do survive gunshot wounds to the head, especially from smaller calibre / weaker rounds, like, say, a .22LR. I believe it's not unheard of for a .22LR round to literally bounce off the skull and cause fairly little serious damage. And, of course it also complicates things that we can't talk to the people who succeed, and find out anything about their actual intentions. :-(
  - spligak 14y ago
    The argument for a persons "right to die" may hold up to some degree. However, I believe the spirit of that sort of protection applies to those who are terminally ill. The idea being able to preserve a persons dignity and shorten the time spent in excruciating pain. Treatable mental illness: depression, anxiety, etc. do not fall into this category. They are not terminal. Proximity to an instrument of death when a person is contemplating suicide (due to treatable mental illness) is a very real issue. If there is no barrier in place, the rate of change from thought to action is astonishing. It's also important to note intoxication plays a role in this same sort of escalation. In these cases you're looking for anything which increases access (proximity) or reduces inhibition (chemicals). Eliminating these gives professionals and loved ones time to help.
  - pavel_lishin 14y ago
    I'm not sure if people who suffer from treatable depression, and commit suicide, should be included in the euthanasia bracket.
- guard-of-terra 14y ago
  On the other hand, If I'd attempt a suicide and have this choice I'd choose firearm by a large margin. It's a humane way to die, as opposed to e.g. hanging. Just imagine it: Somebody living a miserable life and even dying painful and miserable death.
  - mindcrime 14y ago
    Interestingly enough, I'm known for being very "pro gun" and I do own a firearm. But if I ever chose suicide, I can't imagine shooting myself. It's hard to say why, but it doesn't seem like the path I'd go. I would lean more towards poison, or driving my car into a concrete embankment going 100+. Probably poison though, or a slow "drink myself to death" ending, ala Leaving Las Vegas. :-)
- strlen 14y ago
  > I really want to avoid gun control debate, Gun control debate in the US centers around several proposals: restricting semi-automatic firearms, restricting handguns in particular, and additional checks at firearm purchase time. Problem is the first two: A) Do not matter in regards to suicide. A semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine is no more useful than a double barrel shotgun (a firearm type that is legal in most countries, even those that prohibit all other types of firearms). B) Significantly turn gun owners (who are the ones mailing their constituents) against all kind of firearm regulation, including the last kind of measures, such as additional background checks, requirements to demonstrate safe handling, etc... California has a ten day waiting period for firearm purchases and as a result has a lower firearm suicide rate despite the fact that handguns and semi-automatic firearms are readily available. While they're restricted to ten round magazines and -- in the case of military-style firearms -- require using a tool to release the magazine, it's unlikely that these laws matter much in regards to suicide.
  - gertef 14y ago
    > > I really want to avoid gun control debate, > [gun control debate] That wasn't very nice.
  - rdl 14y ago
    You probably don't need a double barrel shotgun for suicide, either. A single break-action would do. If someone's fired both barrels of a double barrel shotgun in a suicide, it's probably not a suicide :)
rdouble 14y ago
This suggests that there may be a cohort effect that makes the Baby Boom generation more vulnerable to middle-age suicide Seems simple enough... They don't have enough money for retirement and their kids hate them.
untog 14y ago
Complete speculation, but perhaps it could be a lack of financial security? Savings wiped out in the financial crisis, not earning enough to cover it into retirement?
r00fus 14y ago
Could it be due to the fact that jobs for this crowd are hard to find/retain, while they are still a decade-plus from retirement? I know several 50-60s aged folks, great people who've been unemployed/underemployed for years. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they may have suicidal thoughts. The disruption oriented job market is moving too fast for these folks, and there are fewer less-skilled jobs available for them to fall back onto that pay a living wage. Add to that the insult to injury that social security is under attack and their kids (if they have any) might not be able to take care of them either.
jriley 14y ago
"The rise in suicide may also stem from the economic downturn over the past decade." I saw this in my local area. Some traditional breadwinners in established careers suffered in the last recession. For those at risk having trouble getting help I'll highlight two options (no affiliation): http://www.crisischat.org/ http://www.crisischat.org/ http://ecouch.anu.edu.au/ http://ecouch.anu.edu.au/
angersock 14y ago
Perhaps it's realizing that the work that they've done has caused great harm to the United States of America their parents left them, and that they've left a troubling legacy of selfishness and consumerism that has degraded the notion of family and community? Or maybe they just can't afford that Harley or entry-level Porsche that is supposed to come in your 50s.
- cpursley 14y ago
  Yes, and many of them went broke living above their means for so long. When the recession hit, they wouldn't adjust their lifestyles because 'they deserve' and subsequently lost most or at least half their wealth after all those years of working late and 'postponing' family life. You speak brutal truth, my friend.
  - gertef 14y ago
    So they should die because they gave too much to their spouses and children?
    - cpursley 14y ago
      No, goodness no. Just stating that I understand. This is what my parents went through. Was quite worried about my father for a while, to be honest (he's better now).
  - angersock 14y ago
    I come at it from the other side--my folks (both early Boomers) lived well-within their means, and even though the first decade of my life saw my dad working absurdly long weeks consulting I still feel like we kept a happy house. Both folks worked hard to help their children succeed, even when we were being dorks. Later, as I headed off to college, some legitimately unforseen medical issues sprung up and a system designed to extract maximum wealth out of a captive, bloated audience tore that same happy family apart. My parents did everything right, and now I get to watch as a culture geared for your typical baby boomer goes and grinds them down, day by fucking day. My hope is that through entrepreneurship I can make enough to eventually pay back the filial debt I owe--a debt which is worsened by the isolationist lifestyle I pursued as a haven during my college and post-college years.

mindcrime 14y ago

“The boomers had great expectations for what their life might look like, but I think perhaps it hasn’t panned out that way,” Very true for GenX as well, in my experience. Speaking from my own experience as a member of that group, I think we all thought we would have more of a positive impact on the world, than what we have had to date. For all the talk about how we were just disaffected, lazy whiners back when most of us were teenagers, this generation always had a lot of optimism and a lot of drive to effect social change, from what I saw. Now, we are creeping up on middle age (I'll turn 40 this year myself) and the world doesn't really look any better in a lot of ways, and looks worse in some. :-( On a personal level, I don't really expect to commit suicide, but I'll freely admit that there is a "background thread" that fires and mulls the possibility from time to time. I haven't really accomplished shit compared to my expectations for myself on an individual level, and as age catches up with me, the idea seems more reasonable. I have a vague notion that if this current startup doesn't succeed, I may pull a "Leaving Las Vegas" deal and checkout that way. I prefer to take an optimistic view though... The startup is going to succeed, make us all very wealthy, and I'll live out my final years on a yacht in the Carribean, being tended to by a bevy of beautiful young redheads who like rich old guys. :-)

grecy 14y ago
I highly, highly recommend you take a couple of years off, and go and see what the rest of the world has to offer. You'll be shocked how many hundreds of millions of people out there have way less money and stuff than you, but are massively happier with their lives. (I personally took two years to drive from Alaska to Argentina, I'll never be the same person again. http://theroadchoseme.com http://theroadchoseme.com)
- eli_gottlieb 14y ago
  But the key to being happy with way less money and stuff is to be secure in the money and stuff you do have, which Americans overwhelmingly are not. You can have a whole lot of stuff, but get laid off... miss a payment... and it all comes crashing down.
  - 14y ago

guard-of-terra 14y ago

"Suicide rates among middle-age Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm" I don't live in the USA, but are't baby boomers supposed to be older than "middle-age" now?

noblethrasher 14y ago
The youngest boomers will be in their late forties or early fifties.
pat_punnu 14y ago
49 to 67
omni 14y ago
They are using the term "middle-aged" to describe a person between the ages of 35 and 64.[1] The "Baby Boom" is generally described as having occurred between 1946 and 1964.[2] Therefore, there will still be middle-aged Baby Boomers until 2029. [1]: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a1.htm?s_cid=mm6217a1_w http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a1.htm?s_cid=... [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post%E2%80%93World_War_II_baby_boom#Definition_of_the_boom_years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post%E2%80%93World_War_II_baby_...

Alex3917 14y ago

Compared to those born between 1900 and 1931, Americans born between 1962 and 1978 were 3 times more likely to have grown up in severely abusive homes, 5 time more likely to have attempted suicide, 4.5 times more like to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, 50% more likely to have suffered depression, and 50% more likely to have experienced alcohol addiction. Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743503001233 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743503...

RexRollman 14y ago
Couldn't some of that just be that we've have gotten better at diagnosing some of those things?

rhizome 14y ago

There's a story like this 3mos after every high-profile suicide to garner some sales (papers, pageviews) via predictable copycat trends.

D9u 14y ago

I wonder what percentage of suicides are military, or veterans?

downandout 14y ago

Advances in technology have eliminated or drastically changed many of the jobs these people have, and there is no end in sight. As a result, there is no economic opportunity for many of them. In modern society, that leaves few options. While many suicides can be attributed to mental illness or depression, an increasing number of them fall within the definition of "rational suicide". Fewer people can now serve the needs of far more people than ever before possible. For example, we are rapidly approaching the day when humans will no longer be involved in many forms of construction, and most of those jobs won't be replaced in any other field. Millions of manual labor jobs worldwide can be replaced by a relatively small number of engineers in a single location working to automate those tasks. As our world catapults toward this reality, unemployment and the resulting suicide rate can only increase.

iknowno_one 14y ago
Excellently put, the solution in the short term is counseling and creating a culture in which down-time, leisure and enjoyment of life is prized more than "putting in your hours." The purpose of automation is to make our lives easier. We have to think that a bum living on the street is not a drain on society, in a lot of ways he is doing more "work" just to keep himself alive than the average wage-slave. We need to stop thinking that "work" is somehow the goal of a person's life and transition to "enjoyment" being the goal.