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Suicide rates among older men rose from 6/100,000 to 10/100,000.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db241.htm

This increase is a public health issue. It isn't a particularly significant cause of death. See page 27:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr65/nvsr65_04.pdf

On the younger end (~40), the death rate is 200/100,000. By age 60 it is 1200/100,000.

However, is not the tend worrisome? One of the reasons we do "public health" is to nip things in the bud. In the domain of infectious diseases, to prevent epi- and pandemics....

The other notable thing I've been told is that this is a unique in the US phenomena, which suggests a whole lot.

No, the trend is not worrisome in a general sense. It does not represent an existential crisis, not even for aging conservative men.

I mean, it is small enough that it could largely be the result of some particular book becoming popular.

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