— Suicides reached a 20-year high in the state last year, fueled by a jump in deaths among men ages 40 to 59 — and experts suggest it might have something to do with the economic downturn.

Of Connecticut's 288 suicides among men last year, 139 — nearly half — were those from 40 to 59, according to state statistics. There were a total of 371 suicides in 2011, including 83 women.

There is some evidence to suggest increased suicide is associated with the economic downturn, according to Gerard Sanacora, professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. But, he said, it's difficult to say with certainty the cause of the increase in suicide among middle-aged Connecticut men, particularly based on one year of data.

"I think it's fair to say it may be related," he said.

Sanacora said that a Swedish study, to be published later this year, found a direct correlation between the amount of time a man remains unemployed and the risk of suicide.

If depression leads to increased drug and alcohol abuse, the suicide rate can increase even more, Sanacora added.

"It's complicated ..." he said.

The most recent state suicide numbers bear out a relatively recent trend experts have found, according to James Siemianowski, a spokesman for the state Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services. Although he could not comment directly on the suicide statistics released by the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Siemianowski did say experts have been seeing an uptick in suicide among middle-aged men and women for a mix of reasons, including unemployment, failing health and poor relations with family.

"All of those kinds of things contributing together push someone to consider suicide," he said, adding, "It's often a confluence of more than one life event."

The 288 suicides involving men last year were just two deaths short of the 20-year high among men: 290 suicides in 1991, according to the medical examiner's website. No one wasavailable to comment from that office. Last year's suicides included 40 Connecticut women, age 40 to 59, the statistics show.

Suicides increased to 371 in 2011 from 358 in 2010. There were 283 suicides among men in 2010 and 75 among women. In 1991, there were 362 suicides – 290 involving men and 72 involving women.

A study published in Public Health Reports in late 2010 found that the suicide rate had climbed for baby boomers, Siemianowski noted. It reported spikes since 1988 for men who were 40 to 49 years old, and since 1999 for women 40 to 59 years old and men 50 to 59 years old. Researchers concluded, with caution, in Public Health Reports that "...the economic crisis is a force that may increase suicide rates across all age groups, particularly those in later midlife and those contemplating retirement."

"I think often ... it's very hard to determine why we're seeing a trend like this because the data collected relative to suicide is often incomplete. It lacks information as to why someone took their life," said Siemianowski, a licensed clinical social worker. "There's often a belief that there's a singular reason for suicide when, in reality, I think that suicide is multi-causal."

The state's rate is low compared with other states. The most recent national figures show Connecticut ranked 47th in suicides among states in 2009 with a rate of nine per 100,000 people.

United Way 2-1-1 handles both information and referral calls and crisis and suicide calls, according to Maria Dynia, manager of research and evaluation of United Way of Connecticut. Anyone can dial 2-1-1 anytime and press "1" to reach a trained crisis call specialist, she said. Last year, counselors handled more than 2,000 suicide-related calls, according to Dynia.

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