While youth suicide has drawn national attention, older white men remain the most at-risk group—yet their crisis is often overlooked. CDC data show that men aged 75 and older have the highest suicide rates in the country, with 38.2 deaths per 100,000 among those 75–84 and 55.7 among those over 85. Among these, white men are disproportionately affected.
Silvia Canetto, a psychology professor at Colorado State University, notes that suicide is especially high among men of European descent. These men often don’t face severe social or health challenges, but they do share traits like emotional stoicism, narrow self-identity, and reluctance to express vulnerability. “These indignities of aging happen to everyone,” she said, “but suicide is not equally common.”
Firearms play a deadly role. Older white men are far more likely to die by gun suicide than women, with rates 51 times higher among men over 85. Rosie Bauder explains that firearms are lethal in 95 out of 100 suicide attempts, leaving little room for intervention.
Social isolation compounds the risk. Igor Galynker describes how men often lose meaning and connection after retirement. “Men spend their life achieving and neglect social connections,” he said. Daniel Coleman adds that men are taught to suppress emotions, making it harder to seek help.
Experts urge targeted public health campaigns that reframe therapy as strength and promote social connection. As Paul Nestadt puts it, “It’s about finding a message that resonates.”
See: “Suicide rates rising in older men, CDC data reveal” (July 17, 2025)
