Firearm suicide rates up 11% since 2019, CDC says

Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Suicides by firearm have increased 11% since 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Suicide, including firearm suicide, remains a substantial public health concern in the United States," the CDC said in a press release Thursday.

Data from between 2019 and 2021 was analyzed, along with preliminary data from 2022.

The CDC found that for the overall U.S. population, "firearm suicide rates increased approximately 11% from 7.3 per 100,000 during 2019 to 8.1 during 2022."

The CDC said the increase is the largest it has observed since it kept keeping data on suicides in 1968.

According to the CDC, suicide rates have increased among all ethnic and racial groups but the increases vary drastically.

Non-Hispanic white Americans experienced the highest overall firearm suicide rate with 11.1 per 100,000 in 2022, up from 10.2 in 2019.

American Indians experienced the most drastic increase of 66%, with 10.6 firearm suicides per 100,000 people in 2022 up from 6.4 per 100,000 people in 2019.

Firearm suicides among Black Americans increased 42% between 2019 and 2022, while suicides among Hispanic Americans increased 28% during the same time period.

If you or someone you know is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.