A Further Investigation of Differences in the Suicide Rates of England and Wales and of Scotland

National samples of case records of suicide-type death in England,Wales & Scotland were reassessed by officials in each other’s country. It emerged that similar critiria for suicide existed & there was no age-related tendency to misclassify cases. The lower rates among the aged in Scotland was therefore not resulting from ascertainment differences. Reasons for the lower suicide rates in Scotland are discussed.