P03-309 - Suicide risk and marital status

Background: Different types of marital status are associated with different levels of suicidal risk. Aims: To study marital status change and the effect of its recency in relation to suicidal behavior. Methods: Suicide victims (1614) in Slovenia and matched controls (4617) were compared for incidence and recency of marital status change during the last 5 years of their lives. Results: A higher percentage of suicide victims (10.7%) had a marital status change in the last 5 years compared with the controls (5.6%). All types of marital status changes (becoming widowed, getting divorced, getting married) proved to be risk factors for suicidal behavior. Almost half of all marital status changes in suicide victims occurred in the year prior to suicide, whereas marital status changes in the control group were equally distributed over the last 5 years. For recently married and divorced people, the increase in suicide risk depended on age: The risk was higher in older people. Conclusions: Marital status change represents a risk factor for suicidal behavior. The first year after the change is critical for elevated suicidal risk, in particular for older people.

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Sex, Marital Status, and Suicide in Canada: 1951–1981

Sociological Perspectives ◽

10.2307/1389401 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 427-445 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Frank Trovato

Keyword(s):

Marital Status ◽

Lower Risk ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Protective Role ◽

Differential Protection ◽

General Phenomenon ◽

Weak Support ◽

Canadian Data ◽

Married State

This analysis extends earlier research concerning the protective role of marriage in people's lives. An important aspect of this general phenomenon pertains to the differential protection marriage engenders for the sexes. It is hypothesized that being married as opposed to unmarried entails a lower risk of suicide, and that marital status transitions from an unmarried state (e.g., single, widowed, divorced) to the married state entail a greater benefit for men than for women. This hypothesis is largely supported by an analysis of Canadian data covering four decades (from 1951 to 1981). Using a standardization procedure, it was discovered that a transition from single or widowed to married would entail a greater reduction in suicide risk for men than for women. In the case of a transition from divorced to married status, both sexes would benefit equally in reducing suicide potential. The analysis further demonstrates only weak support for the thesis that over time there would be a convergence in sex differences in the potential protective significance of marriage in reducing suicide risk.

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Marital status and suicide risk: Temporal effect of marital breakdown and contextual difference by socioeconomic status

SSM - Population Health ◽

10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100853 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 100853

Author(s):

Erik Oftedahl Næss ◽

Lars Mehlum ◽

Ping Qin

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Marital Status ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Temporal Effect ◽

Marital Breakdown ◽

Contextual Difference

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Marital Status and the Risk of Suicide: Experience from England and Wales, 1982–1996

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.94.2.401-407 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 401-407 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Paul S. F. Yip ◽

James Thorburn

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Marital Status ◽

Suicide Rate ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

England And Wales ◽

Never Married ◽

Suicide Rates

This analysis examined suicide rates by age, sex, and marital status in England and Wales for the period 1982–1996. Never married, widowed, and divorced people had higher rates of suicide than those who were married, for both sexes. Among the widowed ages 20–39 years, both sexes had the highest rate, and the rate decreased with age. The suicide rate for divorced people was similar to those who had never married, except for the younger group ages 20–29 years. The male:female ratios for the relative suicide risk for never married, widowed, and divorced to married for both sexes were statistically significantly different for older adults. The decrease in suicide rates observed for the period 1982–1996 in England and Wales was mainly attributable to the reduction of suicide rates among the widowed and divorced.

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Suicide Risk Factors among Polish Adults Aged 65 or Older in 2000–2018 Compared with Selected Countries Worldwide

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18189921 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (18) ◽

pp. 9921

Author(s):

Witold Śmigielski ◽

Karolina Małek ◽

Tomasz Jurczyk ◽

Karol Korczak ◽

Robert Gajda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Marital Status ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Adult Population ◽

Single Women ◽

Depth Psychological ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Central Statistical ◽

Suicide Behaviour

The aim of this study was to determine the tendencies of change in suicide frequency among Polish adults aged 65 or older, recognize the importance of available socio-demographic data (age, sex, marital status, and education attainment level) and provide an in-depth psychological understanding of the obtained results. We analysed the influence of education and marital status on suicide risk in the Polish adult population aged 65 or older, which has not been previously presented in publications related to the Central Statistical Office or any other research. Our results indicated that male adults aged 65 or older that were single or divorced and with a lower education had a higher risk of death by suicide. In female adults aged 65 or older, those with higher education and who were divorced or married had a higher risk of fatal suicide behaviour meanwhile, single women and widows had a lower risk. The dominant method of suicide among Polish older adults was suicide by hanging, regardless of sex; female older adults were more likely to die by suicide by poisoning or jumping from a height, and male older adults were more likely to die by shooting with a firearm. Although data from recent years highlights a downward trend for suicide rates in Polish older adults, the problem cannot be considered solved.

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Marital status, educational attainment, and suicide risk: a Norwegian register-based population study

Population Health Metrics ◽

10.1186/s12963-021-00263-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Carine Øien-Ødegaard ◽

Lars Johan Hauge ◽

Anne Reneflot

Keyword(s):

Educational Attainment ◽

Marital Status ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

Event History Analysis ◽

Social Ties ◽

Personal Identification ◽

Never Married ◽

History Analysis ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background The presence and quality of social ties can influence suicide risk. In adulthood, the most common provider of such ties is one’s partner. As such, the link between marital status and suicide is well-documented, with lower suicide risk among married. However, the association between marital status and educational level suggest that marriage is becoming a privilege of the better educated. The relationship between educational attainment and suicide is somewhat ambiguous, although several studies argue that there is higher suicide risk among the less educated. This means that unmarried with low education may concurrently experience several risk factors for suicide. However, in many cases, these associations apply to men only, making it unclear whether they also refer to women. We aim to investigate the association between marital status, educational attainment, and suicide risk, and whether these associations differ across sexes. Methods Our data consist of Norwegian residents aged 35–54, between 1975 and 2014. Using personal identification-numbers, we linked information from various registers, and applied event history analysis to estimate suicide risk, and predicted probabilities for comparisons across sexes. Results Overall, associations across sexes are quite similar, thus contradicting several previous studies. Married men and women have lower suicide risk than unmarried, and divorced and separated have significant higher odds of suicide than never married, regardless of sex. Low educational attainment inflates the risk for both sexes, but high educational attainment is only associated with lower risk among men. Being a parent is associated with lower suicide risk for both sexes. Conclusions Higher suicide risk among the divorced and separated points to suicide risk being associated with ceasing of social ties. This is the case for both sexes, and especially those with low educational attainment, which both healthcare professionals and people in general should be aware of in order to promote suicide prevention.

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