Between the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, inflation and other problems, the United States has been suffering a mental health crisis. And suicide is a tragic consequence.
In a report published by The Hill on May 18, journalist Daniel De Visé breaks down suicide in the U.S. by gender.
"Paradoxically, women are more likely to attempt suicide, but men are more likely to die by suicide," De Visé explains. "The main reason is firearms. A person who attempts suicide with a gun is many times more likely to die than someone who uses another method, such as pills or self-inflicted cuts."
The journalist notes that according to a Gallup survey released on May 17, 37 percent of women in the U.S. have been diagnosed with depression at some point compared to only 20 percent of men.
Using a gun for suicide, De Visé stresses, "makes the decision final." He observes that between 2015 and 2020, according to federal data, "122,178 men" in the U.S. "died of suicide by firearm compared to 19,297 women."
Suicide prevention expert Elly Stout, who works at the Education Development Center, told The Hill, "Even at the moment when the person has decided to make the attempt, there's a lot of ambivalence. If you take a bunch of pills, there is a moment where you can change your mind."
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The Hill's full report is available in its entirety at this link.