The politics of hope and despair: the effect of presidential election outcomes on suicide rates.
OBJECTIVE
This article examines the effect of election outcomes on suicide rates by combining the theory of social integration developed by Durkheim with the models of rational choice used in economics.


METHODS
Theory predicts that states with a greater percentage of residents who supported the losing candidate would tend to exhibit a relative increase in suicide rates. However, being around others who also supported the losing candidate may indicate a greater degree of social integration at the local level, thereby lowering relative suicide rates. We therefore use fixed-effects regression of state suicide rates from 1981 to 2005 on state election outcomes during presidential elections to determine which effect is stronger.


RESULTS
We find that the local effect of social integration is dominant. The suicide rate when a state supports the losing candidate will tend to be lower than if the state had supported the winning candidate-4.6 percent lower for males and 5.3 percent lower for females.


CONCLUSIONS
Social integration works at many levels; it not only affects suicide risk directly, but can mediate other shocks that influence suicide risk.
Classen
Timothy J
TJ
Loyola University Chicago.
Dunn
Richard A
RA
D019260:Expressed Emotion / Q000502:physiology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history; D008603:Mental Health / Q000266:history; D011056:Political Systems / Q000266:history; D012919:Social Behavior; D012933:Social Identification; D012940:Social Problems / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D012945:Social Values / Q000208:ethnology; D013223:Statistics as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013405:Suicide / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology