Summary
Since Durkheim, religion has been viewed as a source of social integration which decreases the likelihood of suicide. In particular, Catholics have been viewed as less suicidal than Protestants. However, recent changes in the attitudes and beliefs of Catholics in America indicate that the differences between Catholics and Protestants have diminished considerably and from this we would anticipate a decrease in the salience of religious affiliation in explaining variations in suicide rates. The present study investigates the relationship between suicide and Catholicism using data from all the fifty United States in 1970. Whereas a negative zero order correlation was found between Catholicism and suicide incidence, a multiple regression analysis indicates that this difference disappears once we control for the differential incidence of divorce. The results suggest that Catholicism does not significantly affect suicide independent of its negative association with divorce. The Catholic Church's impact on divorce must be taken into account when analyzing the effects of religion on suicide rates.
Sociological investigations of the problem of suicide have followed different leads such as social integration, anomie, and industrialization (Durkheim, 1966; Henry and Short, 1954; Porterfield, 1952; Stack, 1978, 1979). A prevailing perspective on suicide has been Durkheim's (1966) social integration paradigm which he viewed as the common denominator to thirty or more specific empirical propositions involving variables such as including the family, religious, and political institutions. Much of Durkheim's well-known analysis centered on the institutions of the family and religion. With respect to the latter institution, Catholics were viewed as less suicidal than Protestants. While much of the data for Durkheim's period and the early to mid-twentieth century support this contention, recent trends in the attitudes and beliefs of Catholics and Protestants show signs of convergence and the associated differential in suicide rates may also be diminishing. The present paper explores the relationship between indicators of Catholicism and the rate of suicide with recent data for the 50 states.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abramson, H., Noll, C. E.: Religion, ethnicity and social change. Rev. Religious Res.8, 11–26 (1966)
Alston, J. P.: Attitudes towards extra-marital and homosexual relations. J. Sci. Study Religion13, 479–481 (1974)
Bumpass, L., Sweet, J.: Differentials in marital stability: 1970. Am. Sociol. Rev.37, 754–766 (1972)
Carey, R. G.: Religion and happiness in marriage. Rev. Religious Res.8, 104–112 (1967)
Douglas, J.: The social meanings of suicide. Princeton: Princeton University Press 1967
Durkheim, E.: Suicide: A study in sociology. New York: Free Press 1966
Edwards, J. E., Whitlock, F. A.: Suicide and attempted suicide in Brisbane. Med. J. Austr.1, 932–938 (1968)
Foy, F. (ed.): Catholic Almanac, 1970. Patterson, New Jersey: St. Anthony's Guild 1971
Gargas, S.: Suicide in the Netherlands. Am. J. Sociol.37, 697–713 (1932)
Gibbs, J. P.: Marital status and suicide in the united states: a special test of the status integration theory. Am. J. Sociol.74, 521–533 (1969)
Gibbs, J. P.: Suicide. In: (eds.) R. Merton, R. Nisbet. Contemporary social problems, pp. 271–312. New York: Harcourt 1971
Greeley, A. M: The sexual revolution among Catholic clergy. Rev. Religious Res.14, 91–100 (1973)
Greeley, A. M.: The American Catholic: a social portrait. New York: Basic Books 1977
Grant, W. V., Lind, C. G.: Digest of educational statistics, 1975 ed. Washington: Government Printing Office 1976
Groat, T., Neal, A. G., Knisely, E. C.: Contraceptive nonconformity among catholics. Sci. Study Religion14, 367–377 (1975)
Hammermesh, D., Soss, N. M.: An economic theory of suicide. J. Polit. Econ.82, 83–98 (1974)
Henry, A. F., Short, Jr., J. F.: Suicide and homicide. New York: Free Press 1954
Jacquet, C.: Yearbook of American and Canadian churches. Nashville: Abingdon 1977
Kenkel, W.: The family in perspective, 4th ed. Santa Monica: Goodyear 1977
Lee, G. R., Clyde, R. W.: Religion, socioeconomic status, and anomie. J. Sci. Study Religion13, 35–47 (1974)
Lester, D.: Why people kill themselves. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas 1972
McIntosh, W. A., Alston, J. P.: Acceptance of abortion among white catholics and protestants, 1962 and 1975. J. Sci. Study Religion16, 295–303 (1977)
Maris, R.: Social forces in urban suicide. Homewood, Illinois: Dorsey Press 1969
Pindyck, R. S., Rubinfeld, D.: Econometric models and economic forecasts. New York: McGraw-Hill 1976
Porterfield, A.: Suicide and crime in folk and secular society. Am. J. Sociol.57, 331–338 (1952)
Potvin, R. H., Lee, C. F.: Catholic college women and family size preferences. Sociol. Anal.35, 24–34 (1974)
Potvin, R., Hoge, D. R., Nelson, H. M.: Religion and American youth: with emphasis on Catholic adolescents. Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference 1976
Public Health Service: Vital statistics of the United States, 1970. Vol. II: Mortality. National Center for Health Statistics, Washington: Government Printing Office 1974
Ross, M.: Suicide among college students. Am. J. Psychiatry126, 220–226 (1969)
Sainsbury, P., Barraclough, B.: Differences between suicide rates. Nature220, 1252 (1968)
Schmid, C. F., Van Arsdol, M. D.: Completed and attempted suicide. Am. Sociol. Rev.20, 273–283 (1955)
Stack, S.: Suicide: a comparative analysis. Social Forces57, 644–653. (1978)
Stack, S.: Durkheim's theory of fatalistic suicide: a cross-national approach. J. Soc. Psychol.107, 161–168 (1979)
Stack, S.: Domestic integration and the rate of suicide: a comparative study. J. Comp. Family Studies11, (In press) 1980
US Bureau of the Census: Census of the population, 1970. Vol. 1: Characteristics of the population, Part 1: United States summary, Sect. 1. Washington: Government Printing Office 1973
Weiss, J.: Suicide: an epidemiologic analysis. Psychiatr. Q.28, 235 1954
Whitlock, F. A., Shapira, K.: Attempted suicide in Newcastleupon-Tyne. Br. J. Psychiatry113, 423–434 (1967)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stack, S. Religion and suicide: A reanalysis. Soc Psychiatry 15, 65–70 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00578070
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00578070