title: Exploring prospective predictors of completed suicides: evidence from the general social survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was based on over 30,000 respondents who completed General Social Surveys between 1978 and 2002.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We approached these respondents prospectively, comparing and contrasting the responses of those who subsequently died by suicide (N = 141) with those who died from all other causes (N = 9,115).
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed chi-square and logistic regression analyses of important demographic confounders to test for statistically significant differences between suicide decedents and all other decedents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicide decedents died on average 2 years sooner than all other decedents. When covariates of age and gender were applied, suicide decedents exhibited greater acceptance of suicide for dealing with various adverse life circumstances, were more likely to have been the gun owners in their households, lived in regions where gun ownership was more commonplace, and held less strong religious beliefs and less of a belief of an afterlife.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observed affinity between attitudes of suicide acceptability and completed suicide suggests a potential for creating a meaningful assessment tool to identify those positioned at the extreme end of the suicide risk continuum.
authors.affiliation: <location>Sociology Department, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, USA</location>
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Feigelman
authors.affiliation: <location>New York Medical College, School of Health Sciences and Practice, Epidemiology and Community Health, Valhalla, NY, USA</location>
authors.forename: Zohn
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.affiliation: <location>Psychology Department, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, USA</location>
authors.forename: Bernard S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Gorman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010067:Ownership / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attitudes of suicide acceptability; completed suicide; gun ownership; prospective study; suicide