title: Explaining cross-state differences in elderly suicide rates and identifying state-level public policy responses that reduce rates.
abstract: Elderly Americans commit suicide at higher rates than other age groups. We contend that macro- and micro-social variables contribute distinct aspects to explanations of this tragic loss: the former focus on circumstances that affect overall rates, the latter reveal why certain individuals succumb to suicide. Our analysis focuses on the macro-social end of a causal sequence including variables at both levels. We describe how elderly suicide rates vary among states, show that macrosocial indicators of social integration contribute to cross-state variation in elderly suicide rates, and explain how selected aspects of state-level public policy contribute to reducing elderly suicide rates.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Sociology, TCU, Fort Worth, Texas 76129-0001, USA.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Giles-Sims
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lockhart
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015984:Causality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011640:Public Policy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D000092864:Suicide Prevention