The Gender Gap in Suicide Rates is Narrowing in the United States

Dennison LM, Hoffmire CA, Yano EM. The Gender Gap in Suicide Rates is Narrowing in the United States. AcademyHealth Blog Post [Internet]. 2019 Nov 11. Available from: https://www.academyhealth.org/blog/2019-11/gender-gap-suicide-rates-narrowing-united-states.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• RCS 05-195 – Research Career Scientist Award
• CRE 12-026 – Implementation of VA Womens Health Patient Aligned Care Teams WH-PACTs
• SDR 10-012 – Women's Health Research Consortium/Practice-Based Research Network

Women attempt suicide more often than men, but men are more likely to die by suicide than women. While this adage is still true, the U.S. has seen an increase in suicide over the past couple of decades - particularly among women. The age-adjusted suicide rate among women rose 53 percent between 1999 and 2017 compared to a 26 percent increase among men during the same period. This narrowing gender gap is shifting the face of suicide, requiring clinicians and researchers to better understand what is driving the growing suicide rate among women and how best to address prevention among women at risk.