Suicide in Ireland 1945-1992: social correlates.

Previous studies on suicide in Ireland have concentrated on the reliability of official suicide rates and there is a general consensus of opinion that there has been a genuine doubling of suicide in Ireland over the last two decades. The present study supports the view that there has been a true rise in Irish suicide rates and aims to examine some of the socio-demographic factors which might explain this rise. Indicators of anomie and lower integration in society were found to be associated with increased numbers of suicides. However, the relationship between suicide and other forms of personal violence is more complex.