Suicide: A 15‐Year Review of the Sociological Literature Part I: Cultural and Economic Factors

Abstract

Cultural and economic patterns from 130 sociological works on suicide from 1981 to 1995 are reviewed in this article. The traditional Durkheimian perspective on suicide was often questioned by research on the impact of the mass media, alcohol, class, modernization, religion, and politics. Major theoretical developments included the application of differential identification theory to Phillips's model of copycat suicide, the application of criminology's opportunity theory to suicide, and new explanations for the link between alcohol and the social suicide rate. Explanations are reviewed for the major new suicide trend: after half a century of convergence, male and female suicide rates are diverging. Finally, the review notes patterns of continued stability in suicide research findings in areas such as racial differences and economic strain.

The association between community-level economic deprivation and incidences of emergency department visits on account of attempted suicides in Maryland

“…This study found an association between mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and alcohol dependence and emergency department visits for attempted suicide. This association remained after controlling for other variables in the regression analysis, similar to other studies that showed increased suicide risk in people with mental health conditions ( 6 , 8 , 26 , 37 , 38 ). Comorbid mental health conditions may mediate the association between community-level socioeconomic risk and emergency department visits for attempted suicide ( 38 ).…”

“…Studies examining individual suicide risk factors have found that lower socioeconomic status is associated with increased suicide risk ( 34–36 ), while others have not found similar associations ( 32 , 37 ). A complex interplay between individual and community-level factors may exacerbate or attenuate an individual’s vulnerability and suicide risk ( 38 , 39 ).…”

Identifying suicide documentation in clinical notes through zero‐shot learning

“…5 Suicide is a complicated problem that includes a dynamic web of individual‐level risk factors (e.g., depression, substance use behaviors, personality traits), interpersonal risk factors (e.g., violence, victimization), and community‐level factors (e.g., unemployment, stigmatization of mental illness). 6 , 7 …”

The Association of Sex Ratio on Suicide Rates in United States Counties: An Exploration of Mechanisms

“…Despite extensive research, predicting who will commit suicide remains difficult (Franklin et al 2017). A variety of individual-level predictors are associated with suicidal behavior, some of which include the following: prior suicide attempts (Chen et al 2013); depression (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 2021); marital dissolution or relationship problems (Cutright et al 2007;O'Neill et al 2018;Kposowa 2000); ethnic background (Alcántara and Gone 2007; Wong et al 2014;Utsey et al 2007;Vanderwerker et al 2007); gender (Denney et al 2009;Cutright et al 2007); sexual assault (Dworkin et al 2017); and unemployment or financial stress (Stack 2000;O'Connor and Nock 2014;Kposowa 2001). Early suicide research focused on population-level influences included social disintegration and social isolation (Durkheim 1897).…”