Suicide rate in Connecticut at 20-year high

The chief medical examiner's office says the state's suicide rate has climbed to a 20-year high with more than one per day.

The New Haven Register reports that the 371 suicides in Connecticut last year were most since 1991, when the medical examiner's office reported 362 suicides.

Officials say the rate has been rising the past five years. It's not clear why, but officials believe the economic downturn probably has been a factor.

The state's rate is low compared with other states. The most recent national figures show Connecticut ranked 47th in suicides among states in 2009 with a rate of 9 per 100,000 people.

New Haven County had the highest number of suicides last year with 99, followed by Hartford County with 87.