Since people who attempt suicide are more likely to try again in the next six months compared to the general population, the barriers to treatment are particularly concerning, he said.
“That’s our idea of hope,” he said. “That is the objective of the medical structure. We want to provide medical care to people who attempt suicidal behavior.”
Suicide is one of the top 10 causes of death in the United States, with the annual number of deaths increasing 60 percent in recent decades, from 29,180 in 1999 to 48,344 in 2018. During that period, the rate of suicide in the population increased by 35 percent, declining for the first time, by 2 percent, in 2019, according to the CDC
This has happened despite significant advances in brain science and the development of promising interventions using cognitive behavioral therapy, attachment-based family therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, said Dr. Christine Moutier, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
“One would say, why haven’t rates come down?” she said. “As of 2018, it is very clear that they have not yet been made available to the general population.”
The study suggests that, in general, people who attempt suicide face especially high barriers to access, as the US population as a whole is using mental health services at a higher level than ever, with research recent data suggesting that one in four Americans was receiving some form of care. said Dr. Moutier.
“This is not a new finding, from that point of view, but it is terribly concerning,” said Dr. Moutier, who was not involved in the study.
