Suicide Trends: U.S. Trends by for Men by Age Through 2022
Cowboy mentality to blame?
First, let us get this out of the way:
Fox News, 16 Aug: ‘Cowboy mentality’ blamed for worsening suicide rate among men
A “cowboy mentality” of wanting to “man up” could be a factor in the epidemic of male loneliness, a New York University professor implied on Sunday.
Professor Niobe Way spoke with the Washington Post in a story about the rise in an “alternative conception of American masculinity” to combat the lack of connection between men.
When tackling the “epidemic of loneliness” plaguing the nation, Way suggested that it comes from the overly masculine way boys are raised.
First off, remember from my earlier post that the top suicide rates by race/ethnicity are for Native Americans/Alaskan Natives.
Maybe Prof. Way would like to think about her wording a bit more.
But let us pull back and look at the pattern of male suicide rates and see what has been driving recent rises.
(I will look at female suicide rate patterns tomorrow)
U.S. Male Suicide Rates, 1968-2022, by Age Group
Yes, I know it looks very busy. I will simplify it in a moment.
First, let us look at where the highest suicide rates are coming from: old men.
To be sure, I am willing to bet there was much more emphasis on “manning up” over 70 years ago (hmmm, what had happened over 70 years ago?) But that’s not got much to do with boys now.
I could argue something else is going on with old men and loneliness, or even old men and ineffectively-treated physical pain — consider the possibility that people are being told that it is better that they just die, rather than be given oxycontin to treat their cancer pain. (Yes, this is personal.) I can consider all sorts of things going on.
But let me split this up into different age groups:
Young men (under 45)
Middle-aged men (45 - 64)
Senior men (65+)
Young Men
First, kids aren’t doing much at all - yay.
Second, notice the similarities in pattern for ages 15-24 (light blue) and 25-34 (red) — but totally different nature of age 35-44 years (yellow). The dynamic must shift as men enter middle age.
I can imagine at younger ages, more explicit issues of mental illness and despair are involved, while as one gets older, there may be aspects of untreated/untreatable physical illness creeping in. I know my chronic nerve pain started in my mid-30s.
This may also be a reflection of method of suicide, which I really don’t want to dig into right now.
But recent rates for young men are higher than they had been in the 1970s — not good — and definitely there has been a bad trend since the trough in early 2000s.
Middle-aged Men
…or maybe not.
I will note: there was a turning point around 2000.
Things have been volatile during the pandemic.
Senior Men
This one is interesting.
Rates for the 65-75-year-old group have been coming down — I wonder if this is tied to the increasing employment level in this age range.
But, ugh, the sharp increase in suicide for older seniors during the pandemic.
I imagine the lockdowns and isolation really did a number for these men.
I wouldn’t blame the “cowboy mentality” or their upbringing as boys. I would blame nobody going to visit them, and them being locked away — have you considered that?
Maybe those of us who are able-bodied should go visit nursing homes more, or call up our elderly relatives, etc.
Yes, there are other issues regarding loneliness, but whereas in other similar situations one would be accused of “victim blaming”, how about make it a positive obligation on those of us who are not old and lonely, say the Corporal Works of Mercy, rather than say it’s wrong for these guys to feel lonely, and in pain, and kill themselves?
Or, when one points out that it’s mostly old men who are lonely, in pain, and sick who kill themselves, people say “Oh, that’s okay then”?
No, that’s not okay.
I visit a local nursing home regularly, and of course, it’s mostly women there (as men tend to die sooner.) Many men are bereaved of long-time spouses who are there, and despair. One does what one can.
But one need not hurry death. We all get there eventually.
Go, and comfort one’s fellow humans.
