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State-level social capital and suicide mortality in the 50 U.S. states

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  • Smith, Nathan Daniel Lucia
  • Kawachi, Ichiro

Abstract

This study investigated whether state levels of social capital are associated with rates of completed suicides in the fifty U.S. states. To do this we regressed state-level suicide rates on an index of social capital, along with other variables known to influence suicide rates such as gun ownership, income inequality, alcohol abuse and dependence, drug abuse and dependence, serious mental illness, unemployment, percent of population living in urban areas, poverty, population instability, and living in a “suicide belt” state. Suicide rates were aggregated from 1999 to 2002, and examined separately by sex and different race/ethnic groups. The results showed that White men and women in states with higher levels of social capital had significantly lower rates of suicide when controlling for the other influential variables. When we examined sub-dimensions of social capital, we found that community organizations (for White women) and group membership (for White men) were particularly strongly associated with lower suicide risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Smith, Nathan Daniel Lucia & Kawachi, Ichiro, 2014. "State-level social capital and suicide mortality in the 50 U.S. states," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 269-277.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:120:y:2014:i:c:p:269-277
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.09.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Yamamura, Eiji, 2015. "Social capital and views on suicide via the internet: a study using survey data," MPRA Paper 64071, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Lin, Chien-Yu & Hsu, Chia-Yueh & Gunnell, David & Chen, Ying-Yeh & Chang, Shu-Sen, 2019. "Spatial patterning, correlates, and inequality in suicide across 432 neighborhoods in Taipei City, Taiwan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 20-34.
    5. Zhai, Muxin & Kishan, Ruby P. & Showalter, Dean, 2022. "Social capital and suicidal behaviors: Evidence from the United States counties," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    6. Sungik Kang & Hosung Woo & Ja-Hoon Koo, 2021. "Precarious Suicide Behavior According to Housing Price Gap: A Case Study on South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-15, September.
    7. Bin Yu & Xinguang Chen & Linda Cottler & Catherine Striley & Regina Bussing & Robert Cook, 2021. "The Interactive Effect of Social Capital and Duration of Migration on Suicidal Behaviors Among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China: Evidence from a GIS/GPS-Assisted Probability Sample," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(2), pages 603-622, April.

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