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Symmetric mortality and asymmetric suicide cycles

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  • Wu, Wen-Chieh
  • Cheng, Hui-Pei

Abstract

In this investigation, tests were performed to determine whether mortality cycles are asymmetric. Results from an asymmetry test of U.S. time-series data from 1951 to 2005 provide no evidence that all-cause mortality or mortality caused by disease causes asymmetric cycles. However, the rate of fatalities from suicide exhibits the pattern of an asymmetric cycle. The evidence for asymmetric suicide cycles is statistically significant for men and working-age groups but not for women and non-working-age groups.

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  • Wu, Wen-Chieh & Cheng, Hui-Pei, 2010. "Symmetric mortality and asymmetric suicide cycles," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(12), pages 1974-1981, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:70:y:2010:i:12:p:1974-1981
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    Cited by:

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    3. Abdou, Rawayda & Cassells, Damien & Berrill, Jenny & Hanly, Jim, 2022. "Revisiting the relationship between economic uncertainty and suicide: An alternative approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    4. Chang, Tsangyao & Chen, Wen-Yi, 2017. "Revisiting the relationship between suicide and unemployment: Evidence from linear and nonlinear cointegration," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 266-278.
    5. Abdou, Rawayda & Cassells, Damien & Berrill, Jenny & Hanly, Jim, 2020. "An empirical investigation of the relationship between business performance and suicide in the US," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    6. Botha, Ferdi & Nguyen, Viet H., 2022. "Opposite nonlinear effects of unemployment and sentiment on male and female suicide rates: Evidence from Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    7. Tao, Hung-Lin & Cheng, Hui-Pei, 2023. "Economic policy uncertainty and subjective health: A gender perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    8. Sanna Huikari & Marko Korhonen, 2016. "The Impact of Unemployment on Well-Being: Evidence from the Regional Level Suicide Data in Finland," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 1103-1119, September.
    9. Wen-Yi Chen & Tsangyao Chang & Yu-Hui Lin, 2018. "Investigating the Persistence of Suicide in the United States: Evidence from the Quantile Unit Root Test," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 813-833, January.

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