Durkheim's Theory of Fatalistic Suicide: A Cross-National Approach

Summary A neglected area of Durkheim's theory of suicide is the part where he deals with the opposite of egoistic suicide: fatalistic suicide or suicide resulting from overregulation. The present paper operationalized overregulation in political terms. A regression analysis using United Nations data on 45 nations found that indicators of totalitarianism, such as declarations of martial law and banning a political party, were significantly related to the rate of suicide independent of the control variables. A one percent increase in government sanctions was associated with a .13 percent increase in suicide.