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Is it better to intermarry? Ethnic composition of marriages and suicide risk among native-born and migrant persons in Sweden

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Oksuzyan

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Sven Drefahl

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Jennifer Caputo

    (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany)

  • Siddartha Aradhya

Abstract

Marriage is protective against suicide across populations, including for persons of different ethnicities and immigrant backgrounds. However, the well-being benefits of marriage are contingent upon marital characteristics—such as conflict and quality—that may vary among persons of different migration backgrounds in interaction with the migration background of their spouse. Leveraging Swedish register data, we compare suicide mortality hazard among married persons on the basis of their and their spouse’s migration background. We find that relative to those in a native Swede-Swede union, Swedish men married to female immigrants and immigrant women married to native men are at higher risk of death by suicide, while immigrants of both genders who are married to someone from their birth country have lower suicide mortality risk. The findings support hypotheses about the strains that may be encountered by those who intermarry, as well as the potential selection of individuals into inter- and intra-ethnic marriages.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Oksuzyan & Sven Drefahl & Jennifer Caputo & Siddartha Aradhya, 2020. "Is it better to intermarry? Ethnic composition of marriages and suicide risk among native-born and migrant persons in Sweden," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2020-026, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2020-026
    DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2020-026
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lindert, Jutta & Ehrenstein, Ondine S. von & Priebe, Stefan & Mielck, Andreas & Brähler, Elmar, 2009. "Depression and anxiety in labor migrants and refugees - A systematic review and meta-analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 246-257, July.
    2. Åslund, Olof & Böhlmark, Anders & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2009. "Age at migration and social integration," Working Paper Series 2009:21, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    3. Johansson, Leena Maria & Sundquist, Jan & Johansson, Sven-Erik & Bergman, B. O. & Qvist, Jan & Träskman-Bendz, Lil, 1997. "Suicide among foreign-born minorities and native Swedes: An epidemiological follow-up study of a defined population," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 181-187, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sweden; immigrants; mental health; mixed marriage; population registers; suicide;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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