CDC Suicide Report Retracted
Q2 reports that a widely cited study of suicide rates for different occupations in the U.S. has been retracted as it may contain flawed conclusions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced the 2016 study that showed the “farming, fishing and forestry” occupational group suffered a higher rate of suicide than any other occupation. Numerous news organizations reported the findings of the study when it came out, but the CDC has subsequently issued a notice about errors that were found in the initial data. Among the errors were mis-classifying farmers in the wrong occupation group, resulting in the suicide rate for “farming, fishing and forestry” to be overstated. Farm advocates note that getting accurate figures on suicide remains “notoriously difficult.” The 2016 CDC study is also far from complete: It reportedly leaves out large agricultural states like Iowa.