On June 8th, French Chef Eric Ripert found his best friend unresponsive in his hotel room. Anthony Bourdain, 61 years old, had taken his own life by hanging himself with a bathroom belt. Much of the public was shocked; after all, Bourdain had lived a successful and, from outwards appearances, fulfilling life. He had been a host on CNN, he had travelled across the Globe, he ate unique and exotic foods, and he practiced what he loved. He won a Peabody Award in 2014, and in 2017 even shared a meal of noodles with President Obama in Vietnam. Speculation ensured in the aftermath of his suicide. Had difficulties in his relationships, being twice-divorced, led to his suicide? Was it the result of lingering problems related to his past substance abuse? While such questions can never be answered definitively, we do know one thing: Bourdain’s suicide is not an anomaly.
Suicide rates in the United States have increased by over 30% since 1999, a trend permeating like the black plague through every layer of society. Every single demographic in the past 30 years, except older adults, and regardless of socioeconomic status, has seen increases in suicide rates. Particularly affected are middle-aged men and women, with men being 43% more likely to kill themselves and women 63% more likely. The demographic most likely to commit suicide is men ages 45 to 54, with suicide being the second leading cause of death among those between ages 5 to 24. In 2016, firearms accounted for 51% of all suicides with 70 percent of suicide victims identified as white men. Additionally, 25 suicide attempts are made for every successful suicide.
Across the same time period, the social networks of Americans across all age groups have been in steady decline. Roughly two-thirds of Americans believe that most people are untrustworthy, compared to 1972 when only one-third of Americans believed people are untrustworthy. More importantly, since 1999, the average number of close friends has declined from three to two and the number of people that feel like they have a friend that they can share “everything or close to everything with” and “talk about [their] personal problems with” is at a record low 30%. Furthermore, declining marriage rates could be a factor. A spouse can be someone in whom one can confide about serious matters like depression and suicidal thoughts with security. Married couples have lower suicide rates among every age, sex, and race demographic compared to their non-married counterparts, particularly in the 45- to 64-year-old demographic. The proportion of married adults has declined from 72% of the United States in 1960 to 51% in 2010.
Cultural factors may make Americans more at risk for suicide than ever before. The country was founded on the basis of individualism and self-sufficiency. Due to an increasingly developed and technologically based economy, fewer Americans feel connected to their jobs and the products of their labor, and begin to view work as simply being “something to get them by”. As men and women increasingly feel themselves losing their individuality, a higher risk of depression can be a consequence. Due to attitudes about personal responsibility, many people feel it would be an act of weakness, or an admittance of defeat, to reach out about depression, anxiety, or other causes of suicidal thoughts, even to their friends, especially if these are related to finances or their careers. Indeed, workers who admit to depression or anxiety related to work are often ostracized by both their peers and their supervisors and risk economic consequences. While poorer Americans are more affected, even those with higher incomes and more lucrative jobs report increased feelings of depression related to their work, often feeling trapped in a routine. Even Anthony Bourdain, after five years on Parts Unknown, could have felt disconnected from his work and ensnared by it, despite the amazing opportunities his job presented.
Mental health experts postulate that one of the most effective methods of combatting mental illness, depression, and suicidal thoughts is to reach out to psychiatrists, family, and other trusted friends and professionals. However, more than half of all suicide victims have no reported history of mental illness and are not considered “at risk”, signifying that most people who commit suicide are unable or unwilling to reach out to professionals or receive medical care. Mental healthcare is often not covered by insurance plans, and funding for mental health studies has stagnated over the last 30 years. Mental Health America finds that 56.5% of adults with mental illness received no mental health treatment in the past year, with 20.1% of those seeking treatment reporting unmet needs. Only 10 states mandate suicide prevention training for mental healthcare professionals. Additionally, in rural America, where suicide rates have increased dramatically, people have greater difficulties accessing mental care.
45% of teenagers and young adults know someone personally who has tried to commit suicide. Many of them were unaware of the extent of their friend’s or classmate’s depression until the attempt. If someone you know or that you care about expresses disdain for life, talk to him, and if he expresses suicidal thoughts to you, encourage him to get help. He could have the best job in the world, he could have a loving daughter, he could be incredibly talented, but maybe the string that keeps him alive is you.