A study examines how social similarity influences the likelihood of death by suicide. In recent years, suicide rates have increased in the United States. Bernice Pescosolido and colleagues examined the relationship between death by suicide and social similarity, which is defined as living in communities with other individuals who share common social characteristics, such as employment and marital status, ethnicity, or place of birth. The authors analyzed data from both the National Violence Data Reporting System and the American Community Survey to examine social similarity factors and the probability of suicide within the United States between 2005 and 2011. Social similarity within communities was tied to reduced individual risk of suicide if the individuals were younger than 45 years of age, unemployed, widowed, White, Black, or not born in the United States. However, social similarly was tied to increased suicide risk for individuals who were born in the United States, had never married, or were Alaskan Native, Native American, Hispanic, or Asian. The findings suggest that being around individuals with similar backgrounds may facilitate increased supportive ties. However, high ethnic homogeneity may lead to an increased probability of suicide among populations restricted to small, under-resourced or isolated geographical areas, according to the authors.
Article #20-06333: "Cross-level sociodemographic homogeneity alters individual risk for completed suicide," by Bernice A. Pescosolido, Byungkyu Lee, and Karen Kafadar.
MEDIA CONTACT: Bernice A. Pescosolido, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN; tel: 812-855-6256, 812-272-7363; email: pescosol@indiana.edu
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences