A Test of Hendin’s Hypotheses Relating Suicide in Scandinavia to Child-Rearing Orientations

Compared responses on a child rearing practices report by 385 university students in Denmark, Sweden & Norway. Results support the hypotheses with respect to competition, maternal authority, physical freedom & autonomy & teasing, but not tolerance for aggression, expression of affect & dependency. Findings for Denmark & Norway are more consistent than for Sweden with Hendin’s observations. Descriptions of the mother-daughter relation supported Hendin’s conjectures more than those of mother-son.