First, the stats: whereas suicides amongst white men 40-64 rose 2.7%, the corresponding female demographic experienced a 3.9% jump, with a particularly dramatic rise (57%) in the number of deaths by poisoning. Says one researcher, "Definitely these are not just little blips...We are looking at a big population change." No one quoted, however, advances a theory about the causes of the trend. "Are these people living alone, with no major responsibility or others to take care of, or are they people overwhelmed with all of the jobs and responsibilities they have? We need to find out more about the conditions under which these people are living." Well, yes, we do.

It's no secret that women suffer from far higher levels of depression than do men; the factors are both physiological and psychological and, as has been suggested on this site, women are probably just more aware of depression generally. But a precipitate rise like this suggests factors beyond the biological. Consider Dodai's recent post in which she commented on the finding that a depressing number of women feel their "life is over" at 44. Another British study, this one sponsored by Dove, reports that "negative attitudes by employers and society in general make women over the age of 45 feel unrecognized and unsupported," pervasive ageism prevents them from achieving goals and that those older women who do accomplish things are not recognized. In a society that worships youth, aging is not easy. Nor, one imagines, is empty-nesting, later-life career woes and relationship problems, health worries or financial struggle. And certainly these pressures have only increased.

While considering these issues, I decided to consult someone in this demographic: my 58-year-old mother, no stranger to this phenomenon. As I suspected, she had a lot to say. Her feeling is that it is not a coincidence that these women belong to the Boomer generation. "Because we were such a huge generation, and because, I think, our parents' generation had been through so much, we were pandered to in an unprecedented way," she says, "in advertising, society, everything. And we were all so defined by being young that we took an adversarial attitude towards age that has made things very hard as we grow older."

(She then went off on a tangent about women who are willing to "shoot poison into their faces" lest they fall into "one of the two acceptable modes of aging: cute or creepy.")

And women specifically? "Never before," said my mom, "were there such high expectations for women. My mother may have been disappointed with aspects of her life, but she did not feel like a failure. Whereas, we were the first who were encouraged to dream really big. We did, and a lot of us failed to realize those dreams. We felt we had far more riding on it than men, so the crisis in some ways is probably more painful."

I am sure that further studies will do far more to illuminate the root causes of these trends — socio-economic and otherwise. Whatever the findings, the solution is quite obviously better mental health care and perhaps a widening of demographic scope; ultimately, stopping something so tragically destructive is far more important, short-term, than the theory. But it is worth considering the pressures and advantages of this generation of women, unique in history and society; change, for good and bad, is very rough work.

Middle-Aged Women Drive Rise In U.S. Suicides [MSNBC]

Related: How Prejudice Holds Back Women Over 45 [Daily Express]

Earlier: Why Do Some Women Think That Life Is Over By Age 44?

Paranoia.

Hearing voices.

Mania.

The Minnesota research team assessed 540 non-adopted adolescents, 514 internationally-adopted adolescents and 178 domestically-adopted adolescents from the ages of 11 to 21, according to a press release. The study also interviewed adoptees directly, as opposed to relying on questionnaires filled out by parents, as prior studies had.

Keyes made sure to emphasize to Time that even though adoptees are more likely to have a rough time during adolescence, potential parents shouldn't be deterred. "Males are likelier to have behavior issues... But no one is overly concerned about having boys," Keyes said. She also added, "All adolescents struggle with finding their identity. It makes sense adopted children would struggle more than most."

Adoptees More Likely to be Troubled [Time]
US Teens Adopted As Infants Appear To Have Moderately Increased Odds Of Mental Health Problems [EurekAlert]

It's been reported time and time again that men are less likely to go to the doctor. Unless they're seriously injured and need stitches, lots of men never deal with health issues. Personally, I've known guys who were clearly depressed and did nothing about it. Friends and boyfriends who had all the symptoms but — as is often the case with men — didn't feel as though they "needed" to see a doctor. That somehow they would "snap out of it." Pair this up with the fact that some dudes love using the word "drama" anytime a woman exhibits emotion, and you've got a recipe for an aversion to dealing with feelings. This might be anecdotal, but surely the National Alliance on Mental Illness gets its statistics from people who actually see a mental health professional? If some dude is walking around depressed but undiagnosed, does he count?

Women depressed at twice the rate of men [UPI]
Women and Depression [NAMI]
Earlier: Boys Who Use The Word Drama: An Investigation
In Defense of Depression
In Post-Industrial Society, Women Are Either "Princess Crazy" Or Her Handmaidens
Related: When booking a doctor's visit, gender plays a role [MSNBC]

(Not forever. Just for today!) Who are these crazy girls? I have some friends who have gone through crazy phases — but now they're normal. (Thank God.) Am I crazy? Aren't a lot of "crazy girl" attributes — spontaneity, playfulness, liking dirty sex, delusions of grandeur — really just normal dude things? Yes. I guess it is fairly easy to earn the designation of "crazy" when you're not the gender that gave the world Hitler/Rasputin/Mao/ Kim Il-Sung/ Sapurmurat Niyazov or Osama Bin Laden. Um, I guess that means we're lucky!

Ms. Nomani has also told her editor at People that she will no longer write for the magazine. Bercovici talked to Larry Hackett, the managing editor of the weekly magazine, who says not covering something is not what the press does: "I don't know of any examples where the media unilaterally says 'We will not cover this because we feel it's invasive.' I just don't know of any case where that's happened and where it's worked out."

He continues: "I think the story she's going through is something we can cover responsibly, at least at this stage, without knowingly and unquestionably contributing to her mental illness." And today, People.com has a story called "The Britney Effect: The Impact a Year After Her Buzz Cut," which revisits the salon where the pop star shaved her head, as well as the tattoo parlor she visited after her buzz cut. Invasive? Maybe not. But newsworthy?

Britney Spears, Mental Illness and the Tabloids [Portƒolio]
The Britney Effect: The Impact a Year After Her Buzz Cut [People]

The system was reformed about 40 years ago: Legislators created laws that gave mental patients rights and made it harder to lock them up for long periods against their will. Now, writes Morrison, "There's a Mad Pride movement among some mental patients who say they have a right to be crazy. And there are heartbroken families begging the courts time and again to intervene on behalf of loved ones who won't take medicine, won't see doctors." How do you help someone who doesn't want help?

Laura's Law, which became effective in 2003, is a California statute that allows a judge to order treatment for someone after medical and legal hearings. It was named after honor student Laura Wilcox, who was working at a mental health center when she was killed by a man who couldn't be forced to take his meds. Morrison asks, "What would a Britney's Law look like?" And is a new law the answer, or does it lie elsewhere?

Britney's Law? Not so crazy [LA Times]
Report: Spears is in Mexico, not N.Y [UPI]