Mark Kaplan, professor emeritus of social welfare at UCLA Luskin, joined a KCBS Radio broadcast on the increase in suicides nationwide, especially for those ages 45 to 64. Last year, more people than ever died by suicide in the U.S., with a significant increase for that age group, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kaplan noted that from 2000 to 2018 there was a 37% increase in national suicide rates for men and women of all ages. Despite a drop seen between 2018 and 2020, a reversal followed, said Kaplan, “so long-term trends don’t look very good.” He added, “The suicide rate increases especially for men. It goes up as you get older. … So perhaps the population that deserves to be looked at with a closer lens is the older adult group.”