Open AccessThe Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on State Suicide Rates: Revisited
Author(s) -
Mitch Kunce
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of statistical and econometric methods
Language(s) - English
DOI - 10.47260/jsem/1041
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , suicidology , suicide rates , suicide prevention , demography , poison control , psychology , sociology , economics , environmental health , medicine , population
This paper revisits the purported impact of socioeconomic and social environment factors on annual, U.S. state-level suicide rates. Special attention is paid to the right-hand-side linking covariates directly to Durkheim's (1897/1951) significant contributions to established ecological suicide research. Results from a Haus-man-Taylor panel specification lend little support to Durkheim's social integra-tion/regulation hypothesis that aggregate social forces matter in explaining varia-tions in regional suicide rates. Data from 1990-2019 and the advanced empirical method support the mounting sentiment of an abiding ecological fallacy plaguing suicidology.JEL classification numbers: C51, R11, I31.Keywords: Hausman-Taylor, Suicide rates, Socioeconomic factors.