Report: Suicide Threats Up in Johnson County: Resources for Those in Crisis

Iowa City Police appear to be responding to more people threatening to take their own life this year.

This does not appear to have led to more suicides, according to figures from local agencies, but nationally, there has been a surge in suicides in the past decade, particularly among middle-aged Americans.

Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the Iowa City Police Department has responded to 58 threats of suicide this year, compared to 78 in all of 2012. University of Iowa Police have responded to 17 suicide threats this year, including at least six in April, which an officer called "a little high," according to the newspaper. 

Data from the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s office shows that 23 people committed suicide in 2012 and 20 in 2011, which is a comparable rate to nine so far this year, according to the Press-Citizen report. 

Nationally, suicides are up sharply, particularly among middle-aged Americans, the New York Times report citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traditionally the young and old are most prone to suicides, the Times reports.

The report factors in the economy and easier access to painkillers.

Suicide rates among middle-aged Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm.

From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent, to 17.6 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 13.7. Although suicide rates are growing among both middle-aged men and women, far more men take their own lives. The suicide rate for middle-aged men was 27.3 deaths per 100,000, while for women it was 8.1 deaths per 100,000.

The analysis of Johnson County suicides recognizes the college population here, but does not cite finances or drugs.

The medical examiner’s year-to-date data isn’t broken down by student status or age, but since 2009, 40 of the 112 Johnson County residents who committed suicide were between the ages of 21 and 40. Another eight suicides were committed by people age 20 or younger.

Here are some resources for people who may be struggling with depression or having suicidal thoughts.

• Johnson County Crisis Center 24-hour help line: (319) 351-0140.
• An online Crisis chat. 
• Walk-in peer counseling from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at The Crisis Center (you should call ahead to make arrangements for sessions from 5 - 11 p.m. or during weekends)