Abstract
Between 1962 and 1971 the United Kingdom suicide rate fell while the unemployment rate rose, contrary both to earlier British experience and recent trends in other developed countries. It is hypothesised that the "British anomaly" is due to the coincident detoxification of domestic gas after 1963. Unemployment and suicide by means other than domestic gas were found to correlate +0.88 between 1955 and 1980, and +0.70 between 1964 and 1974. These findings are discussed with respect to the role of availability of method in the epidemiology of suicide. It is also suggested that the relation between unemployment and suicide is complex and probably largely indirect.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Barraclough B. M., Nelson B., Bunch J., Sainsbury P. Suicide and barbiturate prescribing. J R Coll Gen Pract. 1971 Nov;21(112):645–653. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Boor M. Relationships between unemployment rates and suicide rates in eight countries, 1962-1976. Psychol Rep. 1980 Dec;47(3 Pt 2):1095–1101. doi: 10.2466/pr0.1980.47.3f.1095. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Farmer R. D. Suicide by different methods. Postgrad Med J. 1979 Nov;55(649):775–779. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.55.649.775. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hassall C., Trethowan W. H. Suicide in Birmingham. Br Med J. 1972 Mar 18;1(5802):717–718. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5802.717. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Johns M. W. Self-poisoning with barbiturates in England and Wales during 1959-74. Br Med J. 1977 Apr 30;1(6069):1128–1130. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6069.1128. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kreitman N. The coal gas story. United Kingdom suicide rates, 1960-71. Br J Prev Soc Med. 1976 Jun;30(2):86–93. doi: 10.1136/jech.30.2.86. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lester D., Murrell M. E. The influence of gun control laws on suicidal behavior. Am J Psychiatry. 1980 Jan;137(1):121–122. doi: 10.1176/ajp.137.1.121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lester D., Murrell M. E. The preventive effect of strict gun control laws on suicide and homicide. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1982 Fall;12(3):131–140. doi: 10.1111/j.1943-278x.1982.tb00935.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SWINSCOW D. Some suicide statistics. Br Med J. 1951 Jun 23;1(4720):1417–1423. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.4720.1417. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shepherd D. M., Barraclough B. M. Work and suicide: an empirical investigation. Br J Psychiatry. 1980 May;136:469–478. doi: 10.1192/bjp.136.5.469. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]