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Adult Suicide Mortality in the United States: Marital Status, Family Size, Socioeconomic Status, and Differences by Sex

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  • Justin T. Denney
  • Richard G. Rogers
  • Patrick M. Krueger
  • Tim Wadsworth

Abstract

Objective. This article addresses the relationship between suicide mortality and family structure and socioeconomic status for U.S. adult men and women. Methods. We use Cox proportional hazard models and individual‐level, prospective data from the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File (1986–2002) to examine adult suicide mortality. Results. Larger families and employment are associated with lower risks of suicide for both men and women. Low levels of education or being divorced or separated, widowed, or never married are associated with increased risks of suicide among men, but not among women. Conclusions. We find important sex differences in the relationship between suicide mortality and marital status and education. Future suicide research should use both aggregate and individual‐level data and recognize important sex differences in the relationship between risk factors and suicide mortality—a central cause of preventable death in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin T. Denney & Richard G. Rogers & Patrick M. Krueger & Tim Wadsworth, 2009. "Adult Suicide Mortality in the United States: Marital Status, Family Size, Socioeconomic Status, and Differences by Sex," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 90(5), pages 1167-1185, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:90:y:2009:i:5:p:1167-1185
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2009.00652.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Justin T. Denney & Tim Wadsworth & Richard G. Rogers & Fred C. Pampel, 2015. "Suicide in the City: Do Characteristics of Place Really Influence Risk?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 96(2), pages 313-329, June.
    2. Lajos Balint & Katalin Fuzer & Xenia Gonda & Peter Dome, 2020. "Estimation of the relationship between the persistent decrease of the suicide rate and the changes in sociodemographic composition in Hungary between 1990 and 2011," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-15, October.
    3. Yip, Paul S.F. & Yousuf, Saman & Chan, Chee Hon & Yung, Tiffany & Wu, Kevin C.-C., 2015. "The roles of culture and gender in the relationship between divorce and suicide risk: A meta-analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 87-94.
    4. Anna Oksuzyan & Sven Drefahl & Jennifer Caputo & Siddartha Aradhya, 2023. "Is it Better to Intermarry? Immigration Background of Married Couples and Suicide Risk Among Native-Born and Migrant Persons in Sweden," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-26, December.
    5. Liu, Juncai & Zhang, Xuanyu & Chen, Qi & Li, Shixian & Lu, Xuehua & Ran, Guangming & Zhang, Qi, 2024. "The association between family socioeconomic status and suicide ideation among adolescent: A conditional process model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    6. Kyung-Sook, Woo & SangSoo, Shin & Sangjin, Shin & Young-Jeon, Shin, 2018. "Marital status integration and suicide: A meta-analysis and meta-regression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 116-126.
    7. Richardson, Cara & Robb, Kathryn A. & O'Connor, Rory C., 2021. "A systematic review of suicidal behaviour in men: A narrative synthesis of risk factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    8. Tomáš Katrňák & Barbora Hubatková, 2022. "Does educational expansion decrease suicide rates in European countries? The compositional effect in educational stratification of suicides," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 923-947, June.
    9. Eleftherios Goulas & Athina Zervoyianni, 2023. "Suicide mortality, long‐term unemployment, and labor‐market policies: Evidence from European countries," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 1112-1139, October.
    10. Jeffrey DeSimone, 2018. "Suicide And The Social Security Early Retirement Age," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 36(3), pages 435-450, July.
    11. Hollingshaus, Michael S. & Smith, Ken R., 2015. "Life and death in the family: Early parental death, parental remarriage, and offspring suicide risk in adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 181-189.

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