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Cited by 191Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesReligion, Spirituality, and PsychologyReligion and Society Interactions

Religious Homogeneity and Metropolitan Suicide Rates

Ellison, Christopher G., Burr, Jeffrey A., McCall, Patricia L.·1997·Social Forces
DOI 10.2307/2580326
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Abstract

Numerous studies have examined the relationships between religious factors and aggregate suicide rates with inconsistent findings. We extend research on this topic by focusing on an overlooked variable: religious homogeneity or the extent to which community residents adhere to a single religion or a small number of faiths. After developing a series of arguments linking religious homogeneity with lower suicide rates we investigate this relationship using 1980 data on 296 SMSAs. As hypothesized religious homogeneity is inversely associated with suicide rates; its estimated effects are greater than those of the other religious variables that are widely used in studies of suicide -percent Catholic and church member rates -- and they persist despite controls for established covariates of suicide rates. On closer inspection we find regional differences in the apparent influence of religious homogeneity. Protective effects are strongest in the SMSAs of the Northeast and they also surface in the South while they are weaker in other areas of the US. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings and by outlining a number of fruitful directions for future research on the religion-suicide connection. (authors)

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  • Of the 49 highest-rigor studies on R/S and suicide, 39 (80%) reported less suicide, fewer attempts, or more negative attitudes toward suicide among more R/S, and two (4%) found positive relationships.

    “With regard to the 49 studies with the highest methodological rigor, 39 (80%) reported less suicide, fewer suicide attempts, or more negative attitudes toward suicide among the more R/S [155–170] and two (4%) found positive relationships (one study in Delhi, India [171], and one in college students distressed over R/S concerns [172]).”

    From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [158]

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Authors
Ellison, C. G., Burr, J. A., & McCall, P. L.
Affiliations
  • The University of Texas at Austin (US)
  • University at Buffalo, State University of New York (US)
  • North Carolina State University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Social Forces
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
1997-09
Volume
76
Issue
1
Pages
273
ISSN
0037-7732 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2307/2580326
OpenAlex
W2108726291
Cited by
191
References
0
Citations by year
2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
FWCI
5.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Social Forces (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Religion and Society Interactions
Keywords
religious homogeneity, suicide rates, religion and suicide, metropolitan areas, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Catholicism, church membership, regional variation, northeastern United States, Southern United States

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