AP
Suicide rates in the United States are climbing, despite
efforts by health experts to shift the trend.
The latest findings from the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics Report
show that from 1999 to 2014, the suicide rate in the U.S.
increased 24 percent.
That translates to more than 10 out of every 100,000
people who took their own life in 1999, and by 2014, the
number grew to 13 per 100,000 people.
"The rate of
suicide has gone up nearly steadily since 1999," said
report author Sally Curtin, a statistician with the National
Center for Health Statistics at the CDC.
"It's a broad picture for both females and males. The
suicide rate was higher in 2014 than in 1999 for all age
groups under 75 years," Curtin said.
For men, the biggest rate increases were seen in the
middle age group - males 45 to 64 years old. For
females, the fastest growing suicide rates during the
15-year period occurred in 10- to 14-year-old girls.
Curtin said while there were fewer suicide deaths among
young women compared to other age groups, the increase
in rates for the youngest group was striking, tripling to
150 total suicides in 2014.
"For this sub-population, these suicides that end in
death are just the tip of the iceberg. For every suicide, we
know there are many, many attempts and hospitalizations,"
Curtin said.
Dr. Maria Oquendo, president-elect of the American
Psychiatric Association, told CBS News, "One of the most
salient things the study illustrates is that despite our
aggressive
efforts to decrease
suicide rates, we really haven't been successful. It's
really not clear why it keeps going up."
But, said Oquendo, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia
University Medical Center, there are hypotheses about the
increasing rates. When it comes to teens, an earlier age of
onset for puberty may play a role, especially among girls.
Although there are some psychiatric conditions that occur in
childhood - ADHD, for example - she said most occur after
puberty and psychiatric conditions are associated with
higher suicide rates.
"So with puberty starting earlier and earlier, it's
possible some of these kids are experiencing psychiatric
conditions earlier," said Oquendo.
"It's rare for suicide to occur in the absence of a
psychiatric condition," she added.
Another theory when it comes to teens: the rise in
social media use may contribute to poorer mental health.
Social networks are often unmonitored, leaving kids more
vulnerable. At one time, children and teens developed
their relationships in schools and neighborhoods and
adults could supervise, Oquendo said.
"But now things are happening online, unmonitored,
and untoward things could be going on and having adverse
affects on kids," she said, including bullying.
When it comes to middle-aged men, a rise in opiate
addiction and substance abuse is thought to contribute
to the upswing in suicides.
"There' also an additional problem with that group
having to do with unemployment and under-employment, and
with lack of access to insurance coverage," Oquendo
said.
The report also highlighted that men are far more
vulnerable to suicide than women, taking their own lives
at more than three times the rate of women.
The researchers also looked at suicide methods and
found that for men, more than 55 percent used firearms,
while poisoning was the most frequent method used by
women. Suicide by suffocation increased for both during
the 15-year study period.
APA's Oquendo said the hope is that recent increased
access to medical insurance will slow the upward trend.
"If you have access to health care, it's much more
likely your disorder will be detected and treated," she
said.
There's also a movement toward integrating
psychiatric care into primary care settings, and for
increased collaborations between primary care
physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other
health care providers.
The goal is, Oquendo said, "To have psychiatrists
work in a team, supporting the work a
primary care doctor does discovering the existence
of conditions, and making sure everyone gets some form
of treatment."
To learn about suicide prevention, visit one
of the links below:
© 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.