Marital Breakdown and Suicide

There is an Australian study on this topic published in the Journal of Family Studies Vol.1 No.2, October 1995. It is by Cantor C H and Slater P J and entitled "Marital breakdown, Parenthood, and Suicide".

Some details:

"Subjects were 1375 people who suicided in Queensland between 1990 and 1992 inclusive."

• Separated males committed suicide at 6.2 times the rate of married males.
• Separated females committed suicide at 1.7 times the rate of married females.

Suicide rates per 100,000 (read off a graph, so figures are approximate)

Married people by age and sex:

• Male:
  • 15-29 24
  • 30-54 16
  • 55+ 21
• Female:
  • 15-29 7
  • 30-54 5
  • 55+ 6

Separated people by age and sex:

• Male:
  • 15-29 150
  • 30-54 120
  • 55+ 65
• Female:
  • 15-29 15
  • 30-54 10
  • 55+ 0

[From these figures I would estimate that the separated male suicide rate is possibly 12 times the separated female rate.]

Children "could well contribute to the observed different suicide rates, as females are more commonly the principal parents during separation". (p.99)

There are several macro data studies published in the Journal of Marriage and the Family linking divorce and suicide rates in general. These include one by Trovato F, "The Relationship between Marriage Dissolution and Suicide: The Canadian Case" Vol48, May 1986, pp.341-348. There are others for Norway and elsewhere, some of which are more recent.

Stuart Birks

3 May, 1996