Suicide: A sociological and statistical study.

Abstract

THE INFLUENCES OF WARProbably no mass activity of society exerts a deeper or more far-reaching influence on human conduct than war. Within the belligerent nations and the closely associated neutrals, every human activity which furthers the successful issue of the combat is forced to the limit and everything that does not aid the conflict is, for the time, neglected and discontinued. Contrary to what might be expected, times of reorganization and turmoil such as prevail during a war apparently do not increase that personal disintegration which leads to a larger number of self-inflicted deaths. It would seem that the all-engrossing, unaccustomed activities and the enlargement of interests to include more than the personal concerns of a limited circle of family and friends absorb people's entire attention and prevent them from morbid brooding over individual troubles and disappointments. In

Suicides in Los Angeles and Vienna: An Intercultural Study of Two Cities

“…(Case collection was interrupted when the time interval between the death and interview began to exceed 1 month.) The Los Angeles case data were gathered within a shorter timespan than the Vienna data because Los Angeles County is a "catchment area" of approximately 7 million people (about 1,100 suicides occur there each year).…”

Why Are Suicides of Young Blacks Increasing?

“…A rise in nonwhite suicide rates associated with urbanization could also be foretold by the knowledge that cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta for many years have had higher suicide rates for nonwhites under 35 than for their white age cohorts (10) and that in cities such as Louisville, Grand Rapids, Evansville, and El Paso the total rates for suicides of nonwhites exceed those of the white population (11). Demographers, commenting upon Negro migration to large cities, have explained the consequent rise in suicides as a function of "exposure to new and unfamiliar stresses" (12).…”

The suicide prevention Center as a model for community mental health programs

“…In recent years, much has been written concerning suicide as an act, as an attempted solution to crisis, as a social phenomenon, and as a vital statistic (Dublin, 1963;Farberow & Shneidman, 1961;Shneidman & Farberow, 1957). Estimates of suicide frequency are now well known to most interested professionals: Once each minute someone in the United States consciously tries to kill himself; 60 or 70 times each day these attempts are successful (Menninger, 1957).…”

“…Nearly 20,000 deaths occur by suicide each year. For each actual death, eight to ten serious attempts may be expected (Dublin, 1963). No community is immune from suicide--it constantly ranks among the top ten causes of death, is the fourth ranking cause for all males between 20 and 45 years of age, and is the second most frequent cause of death among college students (Ellis & Allen, 1961).…”