The number of white, middle-aged American men and women committing suicide increased by 35% from 1999 to 2005, according to the latest issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The rate of suicide in African Americans during that same time period dropped by more than 1% each year and the number of Americans of other ethnicities and age groups remained steady throughout the study period.

The actual number of suicides in the 40- to 64-year-old white female population rose from 2,429 in 1999 to 3,280 in 2005, an increase of about 3.9% per year. White men of the same age group committed 7,916 suicides in 1999 and 10,535 in 2005, a growth rate of 2.7% per year. In 2005, the year from which the latest figures are available, 32,637 Americans aged 10 to 64 years old are known to have committed suicide, making this the fourth most common cause of death for that year.

Although no one can say conclusively why the demographic has shifted in recent years, theories abound.

Psychiatric disorders have been linked to more than 90% of all suicides and Dr. Paula Clayton, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s medical director, suggests "deteriorating access to treatment" may be one factor to consider. Clayton also considers the high suicide rate among US veterans returning from the war fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan as a substantial contributing factor.

Susan Baker, lead author of the journal article and professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says the Baby Boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964, is more likely to suffer from depression, experience drug abuse, and be plagued by feelings of hopelessness and despair. The use of hormone replacement therapy to combat menopausal symptoms declined during the study period, too, perhaps leaving more women vulnerable to the disturbing mood swings that are often associated with menopause.

Late last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on the exceptionally high number of people committing suicide between the ages of 45 and 54. In response, a New York Times (NYT) article suggested the "skyrocketing use" of prescription drugs, and the abuse that often accompanies them, as a prime consideration.

Reader responses to the NYT article suggested other factors, too, including social stigma against mental health diagnoses, a generalized disrespect of older people in this society, and loss of healthy social networks. Economic woes were also suggested by NYT readers but it is important to note the article and its responses were published long before the current global economic crisis became publicly apparent.

Research from the University of Chicago strengthens the Baby Boomer theory, finding this generation to be the least happy of all generations surveyed. The study, published in the American Sociological Review, suggests the very size of this generation led to great expectations that could not always be fulfilled. As Boomers are aging and understanding many of their life’s dreams will not be accomplished, disappointment jeopardizes happiness.

Baby Boomers’ sense of self is also coming into question as they evaluate their lives in all areas and confront the aging process with every glimpse into a mirror. Additional stress is often endured when household composition changes as children grow up and leave home.

Confounding these theories is the University of Chicago study itself, in which 33% of the women surveyed were identified as having the highest chance of being happy. The next happiest category was white men, at 28%, followed by black women (18%) and black men (15%). A separate NYT article cites another study in which Americans identified middle age as being the happiest time of their lives.

Whether or not the trend of high suicide rates among white, middle-aged men and women continues can only be revealed through the passage of time and continued research. The current economic crisis has already generated a number of highly publicized suicide cases but it’s too soon to tell how the financial news of today is affecting the suicide rate in America.