The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report in June 2018 indicating the suicide rate in the United States has risen nearly 30% since 1999. The CDC provided data on the state-level suicide rate, age-adjusted for persons ≥ 10 years old per 100,000 population. Only one state, Nevada, had a rate that decreased during this period. Note that Nevada has had a consistently high rate of suicide since 1999. I've created an interactive map, using Carto, that displays the suicide rate in each state in a graduated blue color scheme. I plan to add county-level data to the map eventually. At this time, many of the counties have statistically unreliable data.
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A key finding in the data is a 50% change in suicide among females from 2000 to 2016, most notably women aged 45 - 64.
This interactive map contains data on the relative change from 1999 to 2016 in suicide rate per capita (suicide deaths per 100,000 people per year) expressed as a percentage. The pop-up for each state also indicates the rate per year in 1999 and in 2016. For a great review of comparing statistical rates of change on maps, see Methods of Comparison, Compared by the creator of d3, Mike Bostock. The source of the data on this webpage was produced by Hedegaard H, Curtin SC, Warner M. Suicide rates in the United States continue to increase. NCHS Data Brief, no 309. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018.
I believe another thing to consider is data prior to 1999. The table below contains data collected before 1999. In analyzing the data back to 1950, the suicide rate doesn't appear to have a significant change. It's interesting to see a dip in the suicide rate from 2000 to 2005.
I started this map after seeing maps presented online on the increasing suicide rate from recent CDC reports. I thought many of these maps needed interactivity and a higher level of detail. I wondered if there is something that the geospatial perspective could tell us about this issue. As I investigated, I discovered some of the weaknesses in the data. The key takeaway I've had from this project and the MAP 671 class overall is how difficult data collection can be and going back to Module 1, how maps can potentially mislead. I've gained a greater appreciation for the responsibility I have as a creator to carefully represent data using digital maps.