Effects of Societal Integration, Period, Region, and Culture of Suicide on Male Age-Specific Suicide Rates: 20 Developed Countries, 1955-1989

Multiple indicators of societal integration & proxies for the culture of suicide form the model used to explain variation in male age-specific suicide rates from 1955-1989 in 20 developed countries. The hypothesis that certain determinants of suicide rates have changed over the study period was rejected, as was the hypothesis that there are effects of period, net of measured predictors. The determinants of suicide rates do vary by age, with the culture of suicide playing an especially important role in the 35-64 age group. (44 refs.)