The effect of domestic and economic stress on suicide rates in Canada and the United States

Abstract

The study of the variation in societal suicide rates still is guided primarily by Durkheim's (1897) theory. He proposed primarily a social integration/regulation theory of suicide. One useful way of exploring this theory is from a cross-cultural perspective. Rates of birth, divorce, marriage, and unemployment were analyzed in comparison to rates of suicide from 1950 to 1985 in Canada and the United States. Results generally supported Durkheim's theory except for marriage. There was no association between marriage and suicide in Canada, whereas in the United States marriage had a protective effect once other variables were taken into account. Divorce rates were associated positively and birth rates associated negatively with suicide in both countries. Unemployment rates added little predictive power to suicide rates. A historical perspective and caution about overgeneralizing the results are presented.