New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that after declining in 2019 and 2020, suicide deaths increased approximately 5 percent in the United States in 2021 and the number of suicides in the United States increased by 2.6 percent in 2022 compared to the prior year. Nearly, 50,000 Americans took their own life in 2022.
In 2022, 10,191 women committed suicide. Thus, women were 20.6 percent of all suicides. However, there is cause for concern. There was a 3.8 percent increase in the number of women suicides in 2022 compared to a 2.3 percent increase among men.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, each year, 1 in 5 women in the United States has a mental health problem. The most common mental health problem among women is depression. Twice as many women experience depression in their lifetime than men. Approximately one of every nine women 18 and older has had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. Women attempt suicide more often than men; however, men are four times more likely to die by suicide.
“Nine in ten Americans believe America is facing a mental health crisis,” said Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “One life lost to suicide is one too many. Yet, too many people still believe asking for help is a sign of weakness. We must continue to eliminate the stigmatization of mental health and make care available to all Americans.”
“Today’s report underscores the depths of the devastating mental health crisis in America. Mental health has become the defining public health and societal challenge of our time. Far too many people and their families are suffering and feeling alone,” said Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States. “These numbers are a sobering reminder of how urgent it is that we further expand access to mental health care, address the root causes of mental health struggles, and recognize the importance of checking on and supporting one another.”