Health and Socioeconomic Indicators in Psychiatric Catchment Areas With Divergent Suicide Rates

Differences found in the incidence of suicide between the psychiatric catchment areas of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm were investigated in relation to health & socioeconomic indicators during 1990-1994. The hypothesis was that negative socioeconomic indicators & psychosocial & health indicators denoting less favourable socioeconomic status may negatively influence the suicide rate of the demographic units in this cross-sectional study. Results show the area with a higher proportion of suicides also had an increased proportion of individuals who retired early, lower life expectancy at birth, higher nonemployment, lesser income among the employed, less public expenditure for education, less proportion of home ownership, & a higher proportion of persons bound to one-room dwellings. The findings contradict the socioeconomic hypothesis of the incidence of suicide which postulates that populations with higher socioeconomic status may have increased suicide rates. (23 refs.)