After a two-year drop, there is an uptick in suicides

Indianapolis, Indiana – After declining for two years, suicides are now increasing, according to a report from the CDC.

On Saturday, Dr. Danielle Henderson, a clinical psychologist at IU Health, talked about the demographics most affected.

She claims that Black Americans are now more likely to commit suicide. According to Henderson, growing suicide rates may be related to the influence that general stress and socioeconomic worries have had on many Americans over the past few years.

Henderson argued that the increased rate of suicide among African-Americans may be due to racial trauma and injustice. It’s crucial to be aware of the indicators that someone might be contemplating suicide.

“If you’re noticing that you are not spending as much time with other people as you would have, or as a friend, you’re noticing that person in the friend group doesn’t seem to respond to messages as they used to, or they seem to find a reason to not come hang out or go to the social activity. Those might be signs. If you’re noticing you’re consuming alcohol more than usual or using other substances more than usual, that is a concern. Changes in sleep, that’s another one. If you’re noticing you’re sleeping too much, not having enough appetite again, not eating enough, or eating too much. I always say if you’re having thoughts that you would be better off dead or that things would be better if you were no longer alive, big flag there,” Henderson said.

Please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK if you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts.