A recent statistical report from the U.S. government described suicide rates across the country for the year 2018. It calculated an age-adjusted national rate of 14.2 suicide deaths for every 100,000 people in the standard population. The report also showed that this rate was not the same everywhere; it varied from state to state.
The data comes from the national vital statistics system, which tracks births and deaths. This type of report is purely descriptive. It tells us what the numbers were for that specific year, but it does not investigate the reasons behind them.
It is very important to understand what this report does not tell us. Because it only looks at one year, we cannot see if rates are going up or down over time. It also cannot tell us why some states have higher or lower rates than others. The report makes no claims about causes, such as access to healthcare, economic factors, or community support.
Readers should view this as a factual point-in-time measurement of a serious public health issue. It provides a baseline number for 2018. Understanding the complex causes of suicide requires much deeper research that looks at many factors over longer periods.
