Year: 2014 Source: JAMA.(2014).312(17):1727-1728 doi:10.1001/jama.2014.12816. SIEC No: 20140599

The recent suicide death of comedian Robin Williams drew attention to a worrisome public health trend: a rising rate of suicide among middle-aged individuals. An analysis by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a 28.4% increase in suicides between 1999 and 2010 among people aged 35 to 64 years (Sullivan EM et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;6217:321-325). During that period, suicide rates for men aged 50 to 59 years increased by about 50%, and the rate for women aged 60 to 64 years grew nearly 60%.