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59 ReferencesThe Relationship Between General Population Suicide Rates and Educational Attainment: A Cross-National Study
Abstract
Suicides are associated with both high and low levels of intelligence and educational attainment in both individual-level and aggregate-level studies. A cross-national study examining the relationship between general population suicide rates (y) and educational attainment (x) was undertaken with the a priori hypothesis that the relationship would be curvilinear and follow a U-shaped curve with the quadratic equation Y = A + BX + CX(2), where A, B, and C are constants. Data on suicide rates and the Education Index (a proxy measure of educational attainment) were ascertained from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Web sites, respectively. The main finding was the predicted curvilinear relationship between general population suicide rates, in both sexes, and the Education Index fit the above quadratic equation. Given the cross-sectional study design, a causal relationship cannot be assumed. The impact of educational attainment on general population suicide rates may occur through interaction with other factors, mediation of the effects of other factors, or by its effects being mediated by other factors, and require further study.
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- "Unlike research on suicide attempters, the individual who died by suicide is no longer available to be interviewed or complete any research questionnaires. Therefore, in most studies on completed suicide, the assessment is limited to a database of demographic factors alone (e.g., Bille-Brahe, 1993; Shah & Bhandarkar, 2009), detailed records from the medical examiner (e.g., Bennewith et al., 2005), prior medical records from health care providers (e.g., Sinclair et al., 2005), or a psychological autopsy that includes detailed interviews conducted with family members or close friend informants. The informant interviews can be useful and thorough, but usually cannot evaluate intra-psychic variables, such as hopelessness or low selfesteem . "
[Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The assessment of suicide risk is a complex task for mental health professionals. Certain demographic groups are associated with completed suicide including males, divorced adults, and Caucasians. However, demographic variables alone provide a crude assessment of suicide risk. Psychiatric diagnosis and recent life events might improve the identification of high-risk individuals. The current study evaluated 148 individuals who died by suicide compared with 257 adults who died suddenly from accidents or medical problems. Psychological autopsy was used to assess Axis I psychiatric diagnosis and recent stressful life events. Suicide completers were significantly more likely than comparison subjects to have a depressive disorder, a substance abuse disorder, and to have experienced interpersonal conflict in the months leading up to their death. A discriminant function analysis revealed that the combination of demographic variables, recent stressful life events, and psychiatric diagnoses best discriminated between suicide completers and comparison subjects. Proper assessment of suicide risk should include a comprehensive evaluation of demographic characteristics, recent life stressors, and psychiatric diagnosis.- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Internet Web sites and chat rooms have been reported both to promote suicides and have a positive beneficial effect on suicidal individuals. There is a paucity of studies examining the role of the Internet in general population suicide rates. The relationship between general population suicide rates and the prevalence of Internet users was examined in a cross-national study using data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations Web sites. The prevalence of Internet users was significantly and positively correlated with general population suicide rates in both sexes. On multiple regression analysis the prevalence of Internet users was independently associated with general population suicide rates in males, and this independent relationship in females approached statistical significance. Caution should be exercised in the attribution of a causal relationship and the direction of this relationship because of the cross-sectional and ecological study design whereby the findings are subject to ecological fallacy. However, the findings identify and support a need for further research.
- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Reasons for living have been identified as protective factors in relation to suicide, and much research has documented gender differences in reasons for living. In contrast, little research has investigated age differences in reasons for living. In the current study, the relationship of age to reasons for living was investigated, as was whether age and gender interact to influence reasons for living. A community sample of Australian adults (N = 970) aged 18 to 95 years (M = 48.40, SD = 20.85) completed the Reasons for Living Inventory. Results for the main effects indicated that being female was associated with higher total, child-related concerns and fear of suicide (FS) scores, whereas increasing age was associated with higher total, responsibility to family (RF), FS, and moral objections scores. Age and gender interacted to influence RF, FS, and fear of social disapproval. For each of these reasons for living, increasing age was associated with higher scores for men; however, there was no association between age and these reasons for living scores among women. Overall, the results indicate that the influence of age, gender, or the combination of the two varies according to the reason for living being investigated.
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