Suicides Increased in 2nd Year of Pandemic, Reversing 2 Years of Declines: CDC Report

In this photo illustration, a teenager in distress poses for a picture in Arlington, Va., on June 11, 2021. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Suicide rates increased during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic after declining the previous two years, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows.

According to the CDC data, after increasing between 2001 and 2018, the age-adjusted suicide rate declined for two years across the United States through 2020 but then increased by 4 percent in 2021 from a year earlier to 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people, the largest one-year increase during that period.

In total, there were approximately 48,183 deaths by suicide in 2021, the latest year for which statistics are available, up from 45,979 in 2020, according to the CDC.

In 2021, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, having been the 12th leading cause in 2020, according to the latest data.

Among males, suicide rates increased 4 percent in 2021 to 22.8 deaths per 100,000, roughly four times that for women, which increased to 5.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2021, the data shows.

Rates among males greatly increased for those aged 15 to 24, 25 to 44, 65 to 74, and 75 and older, according to the data. In contrast, women aged 75 and over were the only women’s age group to have rates significantly increase in 2021, the report found.

Suicide Rates Increase Across All Groups

The CDC report also found that suicide rates were highest among American Indian or Alaska Native males in 2021, increasing 17 percent from 36.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2020 to 42.6 per 100,000 in 2021. American Indian or Alaska Native females saw rates increase from 11.7 to 13.8 deaths per 100,000.

Rates also increased significantly for black men and women, up 11 percent from 13.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2020 to 14.6 per 100,000 in 2021 for black males and up from 2.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2020 to 3.3 per 100,000 in 2021 for black women.

For white males, suicide rates increased by 3 percent from 27.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2020 to 28 per 100,000 in 2021, and for white females, it rose from 6.9 deaths per 100,000 in 2020 to 7.1 per 100,000 in 2021.

The data was analyzed using the National Vital Statistics System multiple cause-of-death mortality files for 2001 through 2021.

The report did not discuss the possible reasons behind the increase in suicide rates in 2021 but various research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple lockdowns had a negative impact on mental health.

Pandemic and Anxiety, Depression

According to a 2021 study from Boston College, reports of anxiety and depression among respondents rose 37 percent and 29 percent, respectively, by November 2020. These rates were more than four times higher than the U.S. norm in early 2019 (pdf).

A separate report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that by early 2021, 4 in 10 adults reported symptoms consistent with anxiety and depression over the course of the pandemic.

That same report noted that 50 percent of young adults aged 18–24 reported anxiety and depression symptoms in 2023, making them more likely than older adults to experience mental health symptoms.

KFF points to the various pandemic-related consequences, such as closures of universities, transitioning to remote work, and loss of income or employment, that may lead to a decline in mental health.

Deb Stone, a behavioral scientist at the CDC Injury Center, told The Washington Times in an emailed statement that the pandemic may have helped drive the increased suicide rates.

“As we’ve seen during other health emergencies, anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors can increase, and these all contribute to suicide risk,” Stone said. “Additionally, suicide rates might be stable or even decline during a disaster, and rise afterward, as the longer-term sequela of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among populations struggling with preexisting inequities.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or is considering suicide, has mental health issues, or is engaging in substance abuse, dial or text the U.S. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 to speak with a counselor. If you’re in the UK, call the Samaritans at 116123.