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Occupational Status and Suicide
Author(s) -
Lampert Dominique I.,
Bourque Linda B.,
Kraus Jess F.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1984.tb00680.x
Subject(s) - coroner , socioeconomic status , demography , occupational safety and health , medicine , suicide prevention , injury prevention , poison control , gerontology , environmental health , population , sociology , pathology
The relationship between occupational status and suicide was examined using data from Sacramento County, California. Data were obtained from coroner's records filed routinely on all cases of sudden, violent, or unexpected death since 1925. Occupation‐ and age‐specific suicide rates were calculated for males and age‐adjusted for overall comparison for the decades 1945–1954, 1955–1964, and 1965–1974. Findings show an inverse relationship between occupational status and suicide for all age groups over the past 30 years. Over time, male suicide rates have increased particularly for employed males over 65, employed males aged 14 to 24, and males in low‐status occupations. General economic insecurity among workers of low socioeconomic status (SES), particularly the elderly, is suggested as a contributing factor to these trends.