The Ecology of Suicidal Behaviour

For over a decade the Maudsley Monograph Suicide in London (Sainsbury, 1955) has been the most authoritative source of information about the contribution of certain social factors to the incidence of suicide in a British urban population. Sainsbury's investigation tested the hypothesis “that where social mobility and social isolation are pronounced, community life will be unstable, without order or purpose, and that this will be reflected to a greater or less degree in the suicide rates”. Much of his work stems from the pioneer work of Durkheim (1897). Using a combination of sociological and psychiatric methods he correlated rates of suicide and indices of social characteristics for London Boroughs derived from a social survey, the 1931 Census and other studies (Burt, 1944). He found significant differences in suicide rates among the boroughs, which remained consistent over 30 years despite considerable changes in the composition of their populations. Comparing suicide rates with other social factors he found significant correlations with social isolation, social mobility, divorce and illegitimacy. He suggested that suicide tended to be higher in the middle class and to diminish with poverty, but found no correlation with unemployment and overcrowding. He stated that suicide rates increased with age, particularly among males, there being a preponderance of over 55 year olds in his sample. A seasonal variation was observed, with the peak incidence in May. In his sample there were twice as many men as women. Six per cent. of his group were definitely alcoholic. Nine per cent. had made a previous attempt at suicide. Almost half of the group were seen to be psychiatrically ill or abnormal in personality.