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Suicide Among Women Related to Number of Children in Marriage

Suicide Among Women Related to Number of Children in Marriage Abstract • The hypothesis of a negative association between rates of suicide and number of children in marriage was investigated in a prospective study of 989 949 women followed up for 15 years (1970 through 1985) with 1190 deaths from suicide. Women who had never married exhibited higher relative risks for suicide than married parous and married nonparous women for all age groups younger than 65 years at the start of follow-up. Among the married, the parous women had lower relative risks than nonparous women for all ages. For both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, a strong linear decrease in relative risk for suicide with increasing number of children in marriage was found. The effect of number of children was independent of social class measured as years of completed schooling. The findings provide the first empirical support for theories of parenthood and suicide advanced by Durkheim almost 100 years ago. References 1. Durkheim E; Spalding JA, Simpson G, trans. Suicide . New York, NY: Free Press; 1951. 2. Halbwachs M. Les Causes du Suicide . Paris, France: Libriare Felix Alcan; 1930. 3. Maris RW. Social Forces in Urban Suicide . Homewood, ill: Dorsey Press; 1969. 4. Veevers JE. Parenthood and suicide: an examination of a neglected variable . Soc Sci Med . 1973;7:135-144.Crossref 5. Kreitman N. The epidemiology of suicide and parasuicide . Crisis . 1981;2:1-13. 6. Monk M. Epidemiology of suicide . Epidemiol Rev . 1987;9:51-69. 7. Sainsbury P. The epidemiology of suicide . In: Roy A, ed. Suicide . Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins; 1986:17-40. 8. Dyrvik S. Marriages and Number of Children—An Analysis of Fertility Trend in Norway 1920-1970: Article 89 . Oslo, Norway: Central Bureau of Statistics; 1976. 9. Vassenden K. The Census 1960, 1970 and 1980: Report 87/2 . Oslo, Norway: Central Bureau of Statistics; 1987. 10. Liberatos P, Link BG, Kelsey JL. The measurement of social class in epidemiology . Epidemiol Rev . 1988;10:87-121. 11. Breslow NE, Day NE. Statistical Methods in Cancer Research, II: The Design and Analysis of Cohort Studies: Scientific Publication 82 . Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 1987. 12. Hesso R. Scandinavian routines and practices in the registration of suicide . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1987;76( (suppl 336) ):17-21.Crossref 13. Ekeberg O, Jacobsen D, Enger E, Fredrichsen P, Holan L. Selvmordsstatistikkens aplitelighet i Norge . Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen . 1985;105:123-127. Abstract in English. 14. Kolmos L, Bach E. Sources of error in registering suicide . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1987;76( (suppl 336) ):22-43.Crossref 15. Central Bureau of Statistics. Statistical Yearbook 1985 . Oslo, Norway: Central Bureau of Statistics; 1985. 16. Hansen V, Jakobsen BJ. Mental distress and social conditions and lifestyle in northern Norway . BMJ . 1989;299:85-88.Crossref 17. Henderson S, Duncan-Jones P, Byrne DG, Scott R, Adcock S. Psychiatric disorder in Camberra: a standardised study of prevalence . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1979;60:355-374.Crossref 18. Bebbington P, Hurry J, Tennant C, Sturt E, Wing JK. Epidemiology of mental disorders in Camberwell . Psychol Med . 1981;11:561-579.Crossref 19. Siegel K, Tuckel P. Suicide and civil commitment . J Health Polit Policy Law . 1987;12:313-360.Crossref 20. Kleinman A, Good B, eds. Culture and Depression . Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press; 1985. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of General Psychiatry American Medical Association

Suicide Among Women Related to Number of Children in Marriage

Archives of General Psychiatry , Volume 50 (2) – Feb 1, 1993

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References (24)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0003-990X
eISSN
1598-3636
DOI
10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820140060006
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract • The hypothesis of a negative association between rates of suicide and number of children in marriage was investigated in a prospective study of 989 949 women followed up for 15 years (1970 through 1985) with 1190 deaths from suicide. Women who had never married exhibited higher relative risks for suicide than married parous and married nonparous women for all age groups younger than 65 years at the start of follow-up. Among the married, the parous women had lower relative risks than nonparous women for all ages. For both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, a strong linear decrease in relative risk for suicide with increasing number of children in marriage was found. The effect of number of children was independent of social class measured as years of completed schooling. The findings provide the first empirical support for theories of parenthood and suicide advanced by Durkheim almost 100 years ago. References 1. Durkheim E; Spalding JA, Simpson G, trans. Suicide . New York, NY: Free Press; 1951. 2. Halbwachs M. Les Causes du Suicide . Paris, France: Libriare Felix Alcan; 1930. 3. Maris RW. Social Forces in Urban Suicide . Homewood, ill: Dorsey Press; 1969. 4. Veevers JE. Parenthood and suicide: an examination of a neglected variable . Soc Sci Med . 1973;7:135-144.Crossref 5. Kreitman N. The epidemiology of suicide and parasuicide . Crisis . 1981;2:1-13. 6. Monk M. Epidemiology of suicide . Epidemiol Rev . 1987;9:51-69. 7. Sainsbury P. The epidemiology of suicide . In: Roy A, ed. Suicide . Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins; 1986:17-40. 8. Dyrvik S. Marriages and Number of Children—An Analysis of Fertility Trend in Norway 1920-1970: Article 89 . Oslo, Norway: Central Bureau of Statistics; 1976. 9. Vassenden K. The Census 1960, 1970 and 1980: Report 87/2 . Oslo, Norway: Central Bureau of Statistics; 1987. 10. Liberatos P, Link BG, Kelsey JL. The measurement of social class in epidemiology . Epidemiol Rev . 1988;10:87-121. 11. Breslow NE, Day NE. Statistical Methods in Cancer Research, II: The Design and Analysis of Cohort Studies: Scientific Publication 82 . Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 1987. 12. Hesso R. Scandinavian routines and practices in the registration of suicide . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1987;76( (suppl 336) ):17-21.Crossref 13. Ekeberg O, Jacobsen D, Enger E, Fredrichsen P, Holan L. Selvmordsstatistikkens aplitelighet i Norge . Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen . 1985;105:123-127. Abstract in English. 14. Kolmos L, Bach E. Sources of error in registering suicide . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1987;76( (suppl 336) ):22-43.Crossref 15. Central Bureau of Statistics. Statistical Yearbook 1985 . Oslo, Norway: Central Bureau of Statistics; 1985. 16. Hansen V, Jakobsen BJ. Mental distress and social conditions and lifestyle in northern Norway . BMJ . 1989;299:85-88.Crossref 17. Henderson S, Duncan-Jones P, Byrne DG, Scott R, Adcock S. Psychiatric disorder in Camberra: a standardised study of prevalence . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1979;60:355-374.Crossref 18. Bebbington P, Hurry J, Tennant C, Sturt E, Wing JK. Epidemiology of mental disorders in Camberwell . Psychol Med . 1981;11:561-579.Crossref 19. Siegel K, Tuckel P. Suicide and civil commitment . J Health Polit Policy Law . 1987;12:313-360.Crossref 20. Kleinman A, Good B, eds. Culture and Depression . Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press; 1985.

Journal

Archives of General PsychiatryAmerican Medical Association

Published: Feb 1, 1993

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