As suicides rates rise, CDC urges mental health awareness

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - When designer Kate Spade took her own life this week, it shocked the fashion world and her legions of fans. But her death is part of an alarming upward trend of suicides. A new CDC report finds that suicides rose across the country in more than half of states by more than 30 percent between 1999 and 2016.

The causes range from financial stress to substance abuse to relationship issues. In fact, the report found that more than half of those who took their own life didn't have a diagnosed mental health condition. That is why CDC and mental health practitioners are calling for more education and awareness.

"A lot of people are really feeling like, 'Alright, we need to actually start to have a conversation about mental health that we don't talk about in this country,'" said Dr. Ben Michaelis, a clinical psychologist.

People like Claudia Herrera, whose Facebook post about Spade's suicide has now been shared more than 200,000 times. Herrera, a fan of Spade's designs, wrote that she never knew the designer suffered from depression.

"But I knew when Patrick Swayze was battling pancreatic cancer. I know that Cynthia Nixon is a breast cancer survivor," Herrera wrote on Facebook. "I know that Dave Letterman suffers from heart disease. I know that Lance Armstrong is a testicular cancer survivor. But I didn’t know that Kate Spade suffered from depression. Or that Robin Williams did. Because somehow society has made it more acceptable to talk about breasts and testicles than about the mind."

"These are actual illnesses that people suffer with and they can't just put on a happy face or get over it as it were," Dr. Michaelis said. "That they actually need help and treatment is absolutely critical for the entire country."

The CDC recommended that employers try to foster a healthy environment that reduces stigma about seeking help and that schools teach coping skills. The CDC also said that spreading the word about resources is very important.

One such resource is the Suicide Prevention hotline, which offers support 24 hours a day.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Toll-free: 1-800-273-8255
TTY: 1-800-799-4889
In Spanish/En Español:  1-888-628-9454
Lifeline chat: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/