Suicide and the Contemporary Woman: Are Male and Female Suicide Rates Converging?

National statistics on white suicide (1960-78) are examined to access whether the suicide rates of women are increasing relative to those of men. The “sex differencial” which is defined as the percentage of suicides which are female after adjustments are made for the sex distribution in the population–narrowed from 1960-67, held steady for 1968-72, & then widened slightly from 1973-78. Suicide remains a higher risk for males. 62 refs. (NBB)