The role of female autonomy in suicide among Portuguese women.
Our purpose has been to verify whether and in what way female autonomy may contribute to change the importance of variables once seeming to influence the suicide of Portuguese women. The suicide rates in both sexes in Portugal and the district and city of Lisbon (the capital of the district) was surveyed from 1950 to 1968 and from 1969 to 1983, over the decades of the 1950's, 60's and 70's and the period 1980-83 and related to age, seasons, marital status, and number of children of married women. Since 1977, female suicide rates have risen significantly in Portugal and the district of Lisbon, both in total and in age groups which are professionally active; unmarried, and married and childless women achieve more. The rising trend of suicides in spring and summer is confirmed and resembles the male seasonal variation. The growing independence of Portuguese women is still not widely reflected in their suicide rates, but it seems plausible to anticipate that, without the reality of children, women's rates would gradually approach those of men.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003469:Culture; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal; D012621:Seasons; D012922:Social Change; D013405:Suicide / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*