Social Status and Relational System of Elderly Suicides: A Reexamination of the Henry-Short Thesis

The relationship between status and suicide has not been clearly established. Henry and Short suggested a direct relationship, but subsequent research has proposed an inverse association. This study of elderly males finds that the highest suicide rate is found at the lowest class level; class differential in suicide is explained by a direct relationship between class and the relational system; and controlling on the relational system results in a direct association between class and suicide.