Suicide in the People’s Republic of China Categorized by age and Gender: Evidence of the Influence of Culture on Suicide

An analysis of suicide in the People’s Republic of China found that the profile was the opposite to that reported in the rest of the world, as more female subjects kill themselves than males, particularly younger women. Also, unlike the situation in other countries, suicide occurred more often in rural than urban areas. It is argued that the Chinese data provide evidence of a greater cultural influence upon suicide rates than had previously been realized. (45 refs.)