Suicide Amongst Irish Migrants in Britain: a Review of the Identity and Integration Hypothesis

This article criticizes Leavey’s (1999) explanation for the higher suicide rate of Irish migrants compared to the general population in Britain. The author rejects Leavey’s hypothesis that these migrants lack social cohesion & are unable to establish an authentic identity. The author asserts that the sample on which Leavey bases his argument is questionable & presents evidence that the association between identity & health behavior is minimal. Future research for this population based on individual-level analysis is suggested. (84 refs) (SC)