After dropping for several years, the rate of suicide in the United States rose from 1999 to 2005. And most of the increase was attributable to growing numbers of white middle-aged people who committed suicide. According to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, from 1999 and 2005, the suicide rate among white women and white men (40-64 years old) rose 3.9 and 2.7 percent respectively each year. Other age and racial groups did not experience a significant increase.

The researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health believe that white, middle-age people are emerging as a new high-risk group for suicide. Many experts have speculated about the potential reasons for the increased rate among white baby-boomers, including mental health issues, substance abuse, economic insecurity, family pressures, and dissatisfaction with middle age, but the cause of the observed increase remains unclear.

Untreated depression is considered to be a leading cause of suicide. The study’s researchers recommend that friends and families reach out to and help people who may be depressed and susceptible to suicide.

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