Alaska is number three for suicide rates in the nation

A new study shows Alaska has the No. 3 highest suicide rate in America with 27 suicides per 100,000 people. Suicide rates in the U.S. have grown by 20% in the last decade and are at the highest level since 1942 with 14 suicides per 100,000 people.

SeniorLiving.org today released a study on States with The Highest Suicide Rates in America using the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control.

Here are a few additional key findings from the study:

·Alaska has the No. 3 highest male suicide rate: 11.1 suicides per 100,000 people.

·Alaska’s suicide rate has increased by 76.3% since 1999, which marks the 3rd largest increase of any state over this time.

·Native Americans have the highest suicide rate of any race with 22 per 100,000. Followed by whites (17.8%), Hispanics (7.3%), black at 6.8% and Asian (6.7%)

·America has the 5th highest suicide rate of wealthy countries (14 per 100,000). Russia ranks No. 1 (26.5) following by South Korea (20.2), India (16.5) and Japan (14.3).

·Firearms were the most used method for both men (56%) and women (31.2%) followed by suffocation/hanging and drug poisoning.

·Suicide rates were higher for people not married and those living in places with lower population density. 

If you suspect someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, help them call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.