The Correlation between Socioeconomic Factors and the Suicide Rate

Abstract

An increasing suicide rate has become a serious socioeconomic problem, particularly in developed countries in Asia such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. In his book Suicide, prominent sociologist Emile Durkheim found that social factors may influence suicidal behavior. To reduce the suicide rate, the Taiwanese government has recently been committed to improving income inequality and reducing the unemployment rate, which has had some effect. Although the total suicide rate has decreased since 2006, the suicide rate of Hakka and aboriginal counties continues to rise in Taiwan. Our study objectives are as follows: (a) To understand the correlation of socioeconomic factors and the suicide rate; (b) to examine differences between the suicide rate among genders, urban and rural areas, and ethnic groups; and (c) to estimate the possible trend of the suicide rate. Our results show that selected negative socioeconomic factors are positively correlated with the suicide rate. The suicide rate for different genders and ethnic groups significantly differs, particularly in Hakka and aboriginal counties. We predict a rising suicide rate trend in Taiwan in the future.