Suicide rates have been increasing among teens as well as law enforcement officers, according to recent data.
Experts discussed why rates may be rising in an October 20, 2019 NPR roundtable interview. For example, the youth suicide rate may be going up because of an increase in reporting as well as increased access to lethal means. As for police officers, taboos about discussing problems and stress may be factors.
Catherine Barber, senior researcher at the Harvard Injury Control Research Center at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said that suicide rates have been rising across all age groups. “When people say they know the reasons, I’m usually skeptical,” she said. “And so when people go to simple solutions, simple explanations, they often don’t pan out.”
Listen to or read the NPR interview: Roundtable: Suicide Rates Rise Among Teens And Law Enforcement Officers