Suicides on This Day in History

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Today in History: Today is Suicide Prevention Day. For the past few years now, middle-aged white men were more likely to die by suicide? In 2017, men died by suicide 3.54 times more often than women, and white males accounted for nearly 70-percent of suicide deaths in 2017, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. From Warren Farrell: "From ages 9 to 14, boys' rate of suicide is three times as high as girls'; from 15 to 19, four times as high; and from 20 to 24, almost six times as high. As boys experience the pressures of the male role, their suicide rate increases 25,000%. The suicide rate for men over 85 is 1350% higher than for women of the same age group. Just as life expectancy is one of the best indicators of power, suicide is one of the best indicators of powerlessness."

Now we come to 2020. In the year of forced business closures and mass unemployment, many areas of the world (India, South Wales and Ireland immediately come to mind) are seeing suicides outnumbering Covid1984 deaths, and most of the deaths are men. Back in June, Cook County, Illinois saw a spike of suicides up 13%, Fresno experienced a 70 percent increase. Between March 15 and April 29, as many people committed suicide in Queens, New York than did between January 1 and April 29 the year prior.

Yesterday, video-sharing site TikTok was struggling to take down clips showing a man killing himself.

It will take many months, or even years, to understand the full impact of the CaseDemic on suicide, but it is obvious that social distancing, curfews, remote working, remote schooling and job losses may result in more suicides in the years to come.

See also: Authors Who Have Defended Suicide, by Forbes Winslow 1840
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2018/06/authors-who-have-defended-suicide-by.html

Suicide in Ancient History
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2018/10/suicide-in-ancient-history.html

Male suicide rate hits two-decade high in England and Wales