Nonmarital Fertility and the Effects of Divorce Rates on Youth Suicide Rates

Messner, Steven F.; Bjarnason, Þóroddur; Raffalovich, Lawrence E.; Robinson, Bryan K.

doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2006.00316.x

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Specifically, life expectancy at birth has a significant and negative effect on suicide rates (Model 4: b = −0.066, p < 0.001) only for males, whereas the divorce rate exerts a significant and positive effect on suicide rates only for females (Model 6: b = 0.081, p < 0.01). These findings are consistent with a fairly large body of work that registers notable differences in suicide rates based on gender (Brainerd, 2001;Chandler and Tsai, 1993;Messner et al, 2006). Recall also that Durkheim (1951 [1897]) pointed out a gender gap in suicide rates, with males exhibiting higher levels of suicide than females.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Research also documents gender differences in suicide rates (Messner et al, 2006;Möller-Leimkühler, 2003;Pridemore, 2006). Durkheim (1951Durkheim ( [1897) argued that females have lower suicide rates than males, and that male suicide rates are associated with higher divorce rates, while the opposite was apparently true for women.…”

Section: The Research Settings: Suicide In Transition Nationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of accession to the European Union on suicide rates: A cross-national time-series analysis

Piatkowska

Raffalovich

Messner

2016

International Journal of Comparative Sociology

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Building upon prior research, this study examines the effects of European Union (EU) accession on suicide rates in the Eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 using pooled cross-sectional time-series data that cover approximately 20 years (1990–2011). Results from fixed-effects regression analyses indicate that EU entry has no effect on total suicide rates and suicide rates among males, but has a negative effect on female suicide rates in the fully specified models. In addition, we find that EU entry also has a negative effect on the ratio of suicide rates to an aggregated indicator of lethal violence (homicide rates + suicide rates, or the suicide–homicide ratio) for the total population and for the female population. Consistent with previous research, we find some significant negative effects on suicide rates for economic growth and life expectancy at birth, and a positive effect for females. When interpreted with reference to the ‘stream analogy’ for understanding the two major forms of lethal violence (suicide and homicide), our findings suggest that the impact of any increase in the ‘flow’ of lethal violence associated with EU entry is likely to be manifested in an ‘outward’ rather than ‘inward’ direction for the nations in the sample. Our analyses also reaffirm previous research documenting appreciable gender differences in lethal violence.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: The Research Settings: Suicide In Transition Nationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of accession to the European Union on suicide rates: A cross-national time-series analysis

Piatkowska

Raffalovich

Messner

2016

International Journal of Comparative Sociology

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“…However, the relationship between higher fertility/birth rates and lower suicide rates may be contingent on normative family structures in society. For example, research using the indicator of non-marital births (a proxy used to represent the weakening of the family institution) has been associated with higher suicide rates in wealthy areas of the world (Messner et al, 2006;Stockard & O'Brien, 2002). However, research conducted in Ireland suggests that this association was also sensitive to changes in social norms over time (Lucey et al, 2005).…”

Section: Birth Rates (N = 11)mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Research also suggests that the association between relationship status and suicide is sensitive to social change, as well as age, gender and the time period under analysis (Messner, Bjarnason, Raffalovich, & Robinson, 2006;Pampel, 1998;Trovato, 1987). Other individual and contextual factors also considered to be important to the association between relationship status and suicide include stigma towards help-seeking, social isolation, unemployment, and alcohol and drug use (Masocco et al, 2010).…”

Section: Relationship Status (N = 27)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Social-Environmental Factors and Suicide Mortality: A Narrative Review of over 200 Articles

Milner¹,

Hjelmeland²,

Arensman³

et al. 2013

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Suicide mortality in a population has long been thought to be sensitive to social, economic and cultural contexts. This review examined research on the relationship between social-environmental variables and suicide mortality published over a ten-year period. The main areas covered in the review included: the economy and income, unemployment, relationship status, fertility and birth rates, female participation in the workforce, religion, migration, location of residence, modernisation, media reporting, alcohol, and access to suicide methods. Results of the review indicated that rates of suicide mortality (deaths per 100,000 in a population) were sensitive to a wide range of social factors. There were relatively stable associations noted between divorce and unemployment with suicide mortality, while many of the reported associations between suicide mortality and other social variables (such as religion, fertility and female participation in the workforce) were influenced by contextual factors and time. These findings indicate the importance of considering the relationship between social factors and suicide as dynamic phenomena.

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“…Marital status (number divorced or percent divorced) is one of the most frequently used variables for social integration. The direct relationship of divorce rates and suicide rates is well established (Breault, 1986; Cutright & Fernquist, 2007; Gibbs, 1969, 1982, 2000; Gibbs & Martin, 1964/2001, 1974, 1981; Gove, 1973; Leenaars & Lester, 1999; Messner, Bjarnason, Raffalovich, & Robinson, 2006; Stack, 1980, 1985; Trovato, 1987; Wasserman, 1987). Messner and colleagues maintain that the relationship between divorce rates and suicide “at the macro level can be considered one of the most well‐established empirical findings in the contemporary suicide research” (p. 1106).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Missing Piece: A Sociological Autopsy of Firearm Suicide in the United States

Slater

2011

Suicide & Life Threat Behav

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Social, economic, violence, political, and gun access predictors of suicide and gun suicide were examined via sociological autopsy. The model predicting suicide rates overall had the best results, χ(2) (9, N=50)=5.279 (CMIN, the goodness of fit statistic that represents the minimum discrepancy between the unrestricted sample covariance matrix and the restricted covariance matrix) p=.809, [the goodness of fit statistic that represents the minimum discrepancy between the unrestricted sample covariance matrix and the restricted covariance matrix] indicating an excellent fit of the data and theoretical model. The model explained 76% of the variance in state suicide rates and was a significantly better predictor than one could expect by chance, F(6,43)=22.889, p<.001). All path coefficients were significant predictors of suicide with the exception of violence climate, which was not included. This study contributes to the theoretical knowledge by adding a comprehensive framework of analysis and model useful for prevention.

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Nonmarital Fertility and the Effects of Divorce Rates on Youth Suicide Rates

Abstract: We are grateful to the anonymous referees for comments on earlier drafts of the paper.

Cited by 6 publications

References 24 publications

The impact of accession to the European Union on suicide rates: A cross-national time-series analysis

The impact of accession to the European Union on suicide rates: A cross-national time-series analysis

Social-Environmental Factors and Suicide Mortality: A Narrative Review of over 200 Articles

The Missing Piece: A Sociological Autopsy of Firearm Suicide in the United States

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