The gender suicide paradox under gender role reversal during industrialisation.

Fhionna Moore,Charlotte Starkey,Rachel Gibson,Joanna Beaumont,Shanice Taylor,Vincenzo Deluca

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202487

Abstract

ObjectivesTo test for social structural effects on the gender paradox in suicidal behaviour.MethodsWe analyzed newspaper reports of completed and attempted suicides in the Scottish city of Dundee during the mass movement of women into the paid labour force in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. We calculated rates of suicides per 100,000 of the male and female populations.ResultsWe found that the female suicide rate dropped during this time period, whereas there was only a significant reduction in attempted suicide amongst men.ConclusionsOur understanding, and action to prevent, suicide in men and women must take place in the context of our gendered social world.

Highlights

More women than men are diagnosed with depression and women make more suicide attempts than men, yet more men than women die by suicide [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
We conducted exploratory analyses to determine whether the Gender suicide paradox and gender role reversal magnitude of sex differences in reports of suicide changed across the time period in which women moved into the city’s workforce
We show that the frequency of newspaper reports of male and female suicidal behaviour changed during industrialisation of the Scottish city of Dundee when working class women became the primary breadwinners

Summary

Methods

We analyzed newspaper reports of completed and attempted suicides in the Scottish city of Dundee during the mass movement of women into the paid labour force in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. We calculated rates of suicides per 100,000 of the male and female populations

Conclusions

Introduction

Method Sample

Discussion