Older white males have the highest suicide rate in the United States, said the Population Reference Bureau in Washington.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States with 11 suicide deaths per 100,000 Americans.
For white males over the age of 65, the rate is almost triple that figure.
White males are more than eight times as likely to kill themselves as women of the same age and the risk increases as they get older, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Suicide experts are unable to pinpoint an exact cause for the higher rate but some believe white males lack the resilience and coping mechanisms that women and other ethnic groups have.
They also point to the fact that males are socialized to be in control and are less apt to seek help for depression which leads to suicide.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Racial disparities reduced in injury related mortality
When it comes to injury-related deaths, the gap between black and white American youths is narrowing, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study found that between 1999 and 2005 injury-related deaths among blacks ages 15 to 24 decreased, while injury-related deaths among whites increased. The findings are published in the June, 2008, edition of
Injury Prevention.
Participating in religion may make adolescents from certain races more depressed
One of the few studies to look at the effects of religious participation on the mental health of minorities suggests that for some of them, religion may actually be contributing to adolescent depression. Previous research has shown that teens who are active in religious services are depressed less often because it provides these adolescents with social support and a sense of belonging.
Study points to 1 cause of higher rates of transplanted kidney rejection in blacks
A Johns Hopkins research team reports it may have an explanation for at least some of the higher organ rejection rates seen among black - as compared to white - kidney transplant recipients. In a study of 50 healthy adult men, 25 black and 25 white, significantly different amounts of certain immune system cells were found between the races.
Researchers define characteristics, treatment options for XXYY syndrome
Researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute and The Children's Hospital in Denver have conducted the largest study to date describing the medical and psychological characteristics of a rare genetic disorder in which males have two "X" and two "Y" chromosomes, rather than the normal one of each. The study, published in the June 15, 2008, issue of the
American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, also offers treatment recommendations for men and boys with the disorder.
Scientists Discover New Bird Species
Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution have discovered a new species of bird in Gabon, Africa, that was, until now, unknown to the scientific community. Their findings were published in the international science journal Zootaxa today, Aug. 15.
Bulging prison system called massive intervention in American family life
The mammoth increase in the United States' prison population since the 1970s is having profound demographic consequences that disproportionately affect black males.
The kids most likely to go armed
A new analysis of a 2005 survey of American schoolchildren has identified factors that may be used to help improve school safety. The research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal
Annals of General Psychiatry, gives detailed information about the carrying of guns, blades and clubs.
Researchers study hidden homicide trend
Gun-related homicide among young men rose sharply in the United States in recent years even though the nation's overall homicide rate remained flat, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Between 1999 and 2005, homicide involving firearms increased 31 percent among black men ages 25 to 44 and 12 percent among white men of the same age. The study is published in Online First edition of the
Journal of Urban Health.