Nevada Lawmakers Consider Assisted Suicide Bill Even Though They Have the Highest Rate of Elderly Suicide

In a 2018 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found Nevada rates of suicide have declined between 1999 to 2016. Although there has been a decline in youth suicide, Nevada has the highest rate of elderly suicide.

As Nevadans aged in 2018, they are more likely to take their lives—peaking at ages 75-84.

According to the 2018 America’s Health Ranking, the rate of suicide has increased from 19.4 per 100,000 deaths to 22.2 per 100,000. 50 elderly individuals aged 75-84 per 100,000 died by suicide compared to the 18.1 per 100,000 of the U.S. national rate. Nevada has the highest elderly suicide rate of any other state — the second highest being Utah with 28.9 per 100,000. They also found older white or Native American divorced males are the most at risk group for elderly suicide…

“Researchers found that more than half of people who died by suicide did not have a known diagnosed mental health condition at the time of death,” the 2018 CDC press release said. “Relationship problems or loss, substance misuse; physical health problems; and job, money, legal or housing stress often contributed to risk for suicide.”

Read more at the Nevada Sagebrush…