I'm on the upper end of the 40 to 54 (right past the higher mark) and I'd consider myself more of a hippie than a yuppie, even though I've been called a yuppie many times. I use to love wearing hip huggers with the sash belt. Halter tops, too - with no bra. Long straight hair, parted in the middle. Peace sign on a leather strap... didn't have this, but wanted one. I never did drugs... had my first drink at age 23... never partied hardy... just a fuddy dud here, but still from the hippie age... maybe I lived vicariously through my siblings that did truly fit the mold.

You might be right about the reason behind the suicide rate in this age group, dancer. How sad that would be if that is the case. Materialistic mob mentality. Another reason could be that those that fall in this age group all received and experienced so much, so early with no real "shoulder to the plow" that the prior generations had to go through. Generation after generation (on the whole) are bettered as benefactors as the ages roll... things are easier in so many ways, so much so that they feel entitled instead of feeling they must and are willing to do anything to earn something.