Is that a real graph? And if so, has there ever been any actual explanation on what caused the dip from 1995 - 2005?
It looks real:
I'm not sure why, but if I had to speculate: acceptance of mental healthcare grew substantially in the 90s (including meds), anti-suicide/intervention programs, anti-bullying campaigns (especially after Columbine). Also, any time I see a graph with any kind of dip around 9/11, I wonder if that major cultural shift had any effect.
As for the steep rise again, I think it's simply social media.
You could also argue that the sharp rise occurred around 2008 with the market crash. I bet a lot of families got broken after the housing bubble burst.
There is a slight uptick around 2002 as well which could correlate to 9/11
Both sides of your speculation seem rather sound and plausible. Social media amplifies toxicity like no other.
I fully endorse your speculations!
Shouldn't that be "Average Suicide Rate", not "Total Suicide Rate"?
