Understanding Changes in Attitudes Toward Suicide Between 1980s and 2010s in the United States*

Abstract

Objectives This study examines individual characteristics associated with suicide acceptability in the United States and how (1) effects of these characteristics on attitudes have changed over time and (2) the degree to which shifts in attitudes are explained by changes in population characteristics. Methods We use General Social Survey (GSS) data from the 1980s (n = 4,840) and 2010s (n = 5,607) and conduct an Oaxaca decomposition. Results Although Americans remain largely unaccepting of suicide, except in the case of incurable disease, a greater percentage found suicide to be acceptable in 2010s than in 1980s. Individuals who are male, white, more educated, less religious, and more politically liberal find suicide more acceptable. Changes over time in population composition (e.g., rising education levels and declines in religion) account for about 50 percent of the rise in suicide acceptability between 1980s and 2010s. Conclusions Results hint at shifting societal patterns, but the causal direction between attitudes and behavior cannot be determined.

The role of context in shaping the relationship between physical health and suicide over the life course

“…In other words, people may internalize suicidal behavior as an appropriate or acceptable response to physical health problems if exposed to more suicide and cultural messages, frames and scripts that sanction such behavior ( Mueller et al, 2021 ). Within the United States, increasing proportions find suicide acceptable in the case of a terminal illness, far more than do in the case of other circumstances, suggesting that people may be internalizing a suicidal response to physical health difficulties ( Tong & Phillips, 2018 ).…”

Shifting attitudes toward suicide over time: A latent profile analysis using the Korea National Suicide Survey

“…However, there are differences in the influence of education level on attitudes toward suicide according to the survey country (18). For example, highly educated Russians condemn suicide, while highly educated Koreans, Americans, and Swedes perceive suicide as acceptable (6,9,18,33). Some studies have reported that education could promote individualistic values and expressions of thought.…”

“…One study of the U.S. population indicated that the culture has shifted toward tolerance of suicide (6). Changes in population composition over time accounted for ∼50% of the increase in suicide acceptability between the 1980s and 2010s in the U.S. (6).…”

“…One study of the U.S. population indicated that the culture has shifted toward tolerance of suicide (6). Changes in population composition over time accounted for ∼50% of the increase in suicide acceptability between the 1980s and 2010s in the U.S. (6). Over time, Americans became more educated, were more likely to be single and to live in urban areas, and became less religious.…”

“…Further, the rate of the adult population who graduated college more than doubled from 23.8% in 2000 to 50.7% in 2020 (8). Higher-educated, single individuals have been linked to permissive attitudes toward suicide (6,9). Meanwhile, the number of religious people, who are known to have an attitude that suicide is incomprehensible, was 54% in 2004 but decreased to 50% in 2014 and 40% in 2021 (10,11).…”