Immigrant Suicide in Canada: 1971 and 1981

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of suicide differentials among immigrant groups in Canada for the years 1971 and 1981. The overall assessment of findings supports the Durkheimian proposition that the rate of suicide among immigrants in Canada varies inversely with a group's degree of social integration. Immigrant groups with Catholic religious background (Italians, Portuguese, and Irish) have greater levels of social integration, suffer fewer “shocks” associated with the migration experience, and have greater abilities to provide strong community ties for their members; consequently, their rates of suicide are relatively low in relation to immigrant groups such as English-Welsh, Scottish, German, and American, which are known to possess lower levels of community integration.