Published: July 17, 2008 01:17 am            

State suicide rates increase; men most at risk

CHARLESTON — A nearly 50 percent rise in the number of young adults who committed suicide and a steady increase in the rates overall in West Virginia might lead to changes in strategies used by a statewide suicide prevention group.

A report released Tuesday by the state Health Statistics Center found that 83 people between the ages of 20 and 24 committed suicide between 2001 and 2004 compared with 45 young adults who took their own lives between 1999 and 2001. Men are more at risk.

The suicide rate among all adults ages 20 to 44 increased from 320 between 1999 and 2001 to 382 between 2002 and 2004.

“It definitely caught our eye,” said Bob Musick, director of the West Virginia Council for Prevention of Suicide in Morgantown.

While the numbers are relatively small, Jim Doria, statistical services manager at the Health Statistics Center, said they are worthy of further study.

Musick said he plans to do just that, in hopes of determining what is driving the numbers so his group and others can determine whether suicide-prevention strategies need tweaked.

The council is keeping a close eye on a number of possibilities, including post-traumatic stress syndrome, divorce, bankruptcy and substance abuse driving the rise, he said.

“There’s just so much going on in our communities today it’s hard to catch hold of it,” Musick said. “But we’ll look at the numbers more closely ... come up with ways to combat this.”

Every year, about 265 West Virginians die by suicide, about 80 percent of them men.

The suicide rate among West Virginia women increased from 3.5 suicides per 100,000 people in 1999 to 5.4 in 2004. During the same period, the rate for men increased from 21.7 suicides per 100,000 people to 26.3 each year.

While the U.S. rate remained relatively stable — from 10.5 suicides per 100,000 in 1999 to 10.9 in 2004, West Virginia’s rate increased 27.3 percent, from 12.1 in 1999 to 15.4 in 2004.

A study released last year by the nonprofit Mental Health America indicated West Virginia is the second-most depressed state in the country, with the 10th-highest suicide rate.

Researchers blame the severity of depression and suicide rates on poor access to mental health care and a dearth of resources for distressed people among other factors.

About 245,000 of 1.8 million West Virginians lack health insurance.

The state also has a relatively low number of mental health professionals compared to other states. About eight psychiatrists and 10 psychologists are available per 100,000 people, compared with 22 and 83, respectively, in neighboring Maryland, one of the healthiest states in the country.

        

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