Adolescent and Elderly White Male Suicide Trends: Evidence of Changing Well-Being?

Adolescent & elderly suicide rates among White males reveal dramatic shifts relative to other age-race-sex-specific groups. This article explores these shifts using Preston’s indicators of well-being (1984) in a social-demographic study (time series analysis, 1946-86). The findings suggest that family dissolution & White children living in poverty are associated with White male adolescent suicide trends, &, societal affluence is associated with White male elderly suicide trends. (41 refs.)