Baby Boomers Affected Suicide Rate in Teens, Again In Middle Age
September 29th, 2010
When the generation considered “baby boomers” reached adolescence, suicide rates among adolescents and teenagers rose sharply. As boomers aged, their suicide rates stabilized, but new research shows that the population is experiencing a resurgence of increased suicide having reached middle age. As boomers have reached ages 40 to 59, suicide rates for that age range has been climbing steadily. Research shows that unmarried people without education are most likely to struggle with suicidal thoughts during middle age. Just because someone makes it through the rocky teen years does not mean that he or she is free of this struggle. If you know someone, middle aged or otherwise, who has expressed depressed or suicidal thoughts, encourage that person to find a therapist to address their feelings.
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This really scares me given how many of my own friends, myself included, are in this age range.
Is there any particular reason why this increase is seen in this group of people?Is there really a reason or is it just that no data is available for groups predating this one?
The baby boomer were a generation filled with hope. I’d say they were the first to feel that nothing was impossible. By the time they were in their teens, it was the sixties. WWII was long over and there was a spirit of optimism, free spiritedness and rebirth. I think there are so many suicides in this group because they look back on that time, all the hopes and dreams about changing the world for the better, and realize they didn’t achieve a fraction of what they thought they would.
Yeah, and don’t forget all the psychedelic drugs they used too back then. Some never left that drug use behind. I bet there were cases in the 1960′s ruled suicides that weren’t. They were kids that were high who thought they could fly off tall buildings.
The baby boomer era is so romanticized; flower power, free love etc. Newsflash!We didn’t all choose to participate in that. I held down a plain old office job in a plain old office and did that for thirty three years. Ask me what I remember about the sixties and I’ll tell you that it was nothing special. Just life.
Life is always special, Rick sweetie. You only have to give yourself permission to see that every day. :)
Suicide is never the answer. There’s so much help out there it breaks my heart that this continues to be a problem in our society. We all should take extra special care to watch over each other.
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it. – James M. Barrie
I say it’s your life and you should be entitled to choose when you exit it if that’s what you want to do. We have free will. If I had an incurable painful disease (which I don’t)and I wanted to get my affairs in order, say my goodbyes then go ride a cloud for eternity, why shouldn’t I be able to?
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