Suicides Increase in Indiana and Across Nation, Marking Recession's Deadly Toll

Economic Crisis Stresses More to Breaking Point

Most have felt the impact of the recession in one way or another. Maybe it was the lost job, the home that wouldn't sell or the stocks that tanked. In Indiana, the recession's toll includes rising and often alarming numbers of suicides. In other parts of the country, pockets of high suicides seem to go along with high unemployment, home foreclosures and other aspects of the recession. Now there is evidence that suicide rates are rising, not only in Indiana but across the country.

What Makes this Recession so Deadly?

Multiple stresses are associated with this recession -- and they have lasted a long time, at least two years. According to a CNN unemployment map, Indiana has a 9.8 percent unemployment rate, higher than at any time since 1983. Indiana also has high numbers of home foreclosures. It is not uncommon for perfectly fine homes to sit on the market for two years or more before selling, often for very low prices.

In 2006, the most recent year in which data was analyzed, suicide was the fourth leading cause of death for Hoosiers ages 15 through 54 (according to the Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition). But experts in the field believe that suicide rates may be rising even more than in 2006, not just in Indiana but across the nation. In many respects, that makes this recession different than other recessions, perhaps topped only by the Great Depression when it comes to suicide rates.

A recent survey noted in the Wall Street Journal suggests that suicide rates are indeed creeping up, higher in 2008 than in 2007. Preliminary data suggests that suicides in 19 out of 33 of the largest U.S. states have risen. Suicides seem to be particularly high in those who already are depressed or prone to substance abuse. But they aren't the only ones affected. Not this time around.

Experts See Signs of Rising Suicides in Indiana and Across the Nation