The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

Mental Health 533

ratio) in suicide rates for 20 countries is

shown in Table 13.7. Historically, men have

had higher rates of suicide compared to

women for some time. Over the last few de-

cades of the 20th century, the sex difference

in suicide rates worldwide has increased,

largely due to an increase in suicide among

men (World Health Organization, 2010b).

As shown in Table 13.7, the size of the

sex difference in suicide is smaller in Asian

cultures. China is an exception to the sex dif-

ference in suicide rates. Here suicide is the

leading cause of death among those aged

15 to 34 years but rates are higher among

females than males (Mitra & Shroff, 2008;

Phillips, Li, & Zhang, 2002). There are a va-

riety of reasons for the sex reversal. A major

reason is the low status of women. Women

suffer high rates of physical and sexual abuse,

are more likely to live in poverty and lack

economic resources than men, and are un-

able to express themselves freely. Second,

there are no religious sanctions against sui-

cide. Third, suicide rates are higher in rural

than homicide? In 2007, 34,592 people com-

mitted suicide. Suicide is the third leading

cause of death for people between the ages

of 15 and 24. The suicide rate is twice as high

among Whites as Blacks, Asians, and His-

panics, but equally high among American

Indians/Alaska Natives (National Center for

Health Statistics, 2009b). As shown in Figure

13.12, the size of the sex difference is relatively

stable across the life span until old age. The sex

difference also persists across ethnic groups,

although it is smaller among Asian Americans

than other groups (Langhinrichsen-Rohling,

Friend, & Powell, 2009). Among the elderly,

there is a dramatic increase in men’s suicide

rates, which increases the magnitude of the

sex difference. Among persons 65 years and

older, men have seven times the rate of sui-

cide as women. The sex difference is also a bit

larger among the younger cohorts: Among

20- to 24-year-olds, men are nearly six times

as likely as women to commit suicide.

Sex differences in suicide extend across

cultures. The sex difference (male–female

5–14 15–19 20–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65–74 75–84 85+

Age

Suicide Rates by Sex and Age

10

Suicide Rate*^20

30

40

60

0

50

Males Females

*Note: These rates are per 100,000 and for persons 5 years of age and older.

FIGURE 13.12 Suicide rates by sex and age. Men have higher suicide

rates than women at all ages. The sex difference is particularly high among

young people and the elderly.

Source: Adapted from National Center for Health Statistics (2009b).

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