Social and economic influence on suicide: A study of the situation in italy

Durkheim considers suicidal behaviour to be in some way related to social indicators of cohesion and integration. The vast majority studies on the social correlates of the regional variation of suicide concern American data, whereas countries with social structure different from those of American nations have been neglected from this point of view. So, to ascertain the influence of social factors on suicidal behaviour in Italy, the regional distribution of suicides has been analyzed in relation to social security expenses, marriage, separation and divorce rates, crime rates, Gross Domestic Product per capita and consumers rates, occupational rates. Data has been collected from The Italian Institute for Statistical Analysis, 1992 (ISTAT) year book. Italy regional distribution of suicide rates for 1992 shows a clear and significant positive relationship with indicators of wealth and of social disintegration, in both genders. The main factor that mediates the influence of wealth on suicidal behaviour is the distribution of expenses on wealth. For males, crime rates also seem relevant. These results suggestion that suicidal behaviour could be a specific characteristic of affluent society, although the connection must be considered complex and intricate. © 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers. All rights reserved.