The Effects of Race, Gender, and Marital Status on Suicides among Young Adults, Middle-Aged Adults, and Older Adults

Investigations of suicide tend to focus on adolescents, young adults, and elderly adults. Little is known about suicide in midlife or about the timing of suicide across the life course. Analyses of the effects of marital status, race, and gender on the timing of suicide across three adult life stages are provided: young adult (ages 25 through 39); midlife (ages 40 through 59); and older adult (ages 60 and above). All officially recorded suicides twenty-five years of age or older ( N = 3,187) in North Carolina (1980 through 1984) are studied. Logistic modeling shows distinct structural effects on the occurrence of suicide in midlife compared to the life stages immediately preceding and following it. Greater attention to the crises of women in midlife appears warranted.