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Credit card debt driving families to suicide is super exaggerated. America makes it relatively easy to get rid of credit card debt through bankruptcy. And even after bankruptcy it's possible to get credit cards again after a few years. And after seven years it's completely off your credit report.

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As is the notion that it's mostly medical. That was a very unscrupulous "scientist"--what the study actually found was that the majority of bankruptcies included at least one recent medical bill. Of course that nuance didn't get into the popular press very well.

A while back I saw an analysis that showed 5% of bankruptcies were actually medical--and of those half were retirees who were overspending and the medical debt was simply the straw that broke the camel's back.

That's a misunderstanding of the antecedents to death by suicide. We know (from the NCISH work in the UK) that financial distress is a significant factor for many people who die by suicide.

People who attempt suicide may be less able to see the situation with calm rationality.

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