The Impact of the Economy on Suicide and Homicide Rates in Japan and the United States

A time series study of socioeconomic correlates of suicide and homicide in Japan and the USA from 1953 to 1982 revealed cross-national differences. Divorce rates were positively associated with rates of personal violence in the USA but negatively associated with these rates in Japan. Unemployment and female labor force participation also correlated differently with rates of personal violence in the two nations, suggesting that different theories may be necessary to account for the variation in rates of personal violence in different societies. (5 refs)