State and Regional Suicide Rates: A New Look at an Old Puzzle

Abstract

U.S. suicide rates vary across the states and are higher in the American West than in other regions. Reasons for these patterns have eluded social scientists. This research note examines whether residential stability and population density as ecological contexts for social integration help explain the patterns. Reflecting Durkheimian reasoning, results suggest that residential stability helps explain both the high Western suicide rate and state suicide rates more generally. Final remarks address the theoretical and empirical implications of the findings.