In the Friday edition of the Eagle, the Associated Press reported on some troubling national numbers: The suicide rate in the United States is as high as it’s ever been, with nearly 49,500 deaths by suicide in 2022.

In 2018, the suicide rate in the United States was 14.2 per 100,000 people, the highest since 1941. After decreasing in 2019 and 2020, it rose 4% in 2021 and, according to the latest figures, released Thursday, it rose by 3% in 2022.

A total of 49,449 people died by suicide in 2022, an average of about 135 every day.

That is a troubling trend, and the bad news is that suicide is a tremendously complicated subject, meaning there likely isn’t a single solution.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing anyone can do.

Something everyone can do is lessen the stigma around those seeking treatment for mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

We can also familiarize ourselves with some of the signs that may indicate someone is at immediate risk of attempting suicide in the near future.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, some of those signs include talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill themselves, talking about feeling empty, hopeless or having no reason to live, talking about feeling trapped or that there are no solutions, talking about being a burden to others and talking or thinking about death often.

A final thing to do is to follow the five steps the institute recommends to help someone going through emotional distress:

Suicidal thoughts and actions are signs that something is wrong. While it is not an easy topic to talk about, it’s important, and it’s important to remember help is out there.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is run by a network of more than 200 local crisis centers.

— JK