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Characteristics of young rural Chinese suicides: a psychological autopsy study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2009

J. Zhang ,
W. Wieczorek ,
Y. Conwell ,
X.-M. Tu ,
B. Y.-W. Wu ,
S. Xiao  and
C. Jia
J. Zhang*
Affiliation:
State University of New York College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
W. Wieczorek
Affiliation:
State University of New York College at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
Y. Conwell
Affiliation:
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
X.-M. Tu
Affiliation:
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
B. Y.-W. Wu
Affiliation:
State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
S. Xiao
Affiliation:
Central South University, China
C. Jia
Affiliation:
Shandong University, China
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr J. Zhang, Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology, State University of New York College at Buffalo, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Patterns of suicide rates in China differ in many ways from those in the West. This study aimed to identify the risk factors characteristic for young rural Chinese suicides.

Method

This was a case-control psychological autopsy (PA) study. The samples were suicides and living controls (both aged 15–34 years) from 16 rural counties of China. We interviewed two informants for each suicide and each control with pretested and validated instruments to estimate psychosocial, psychiatric and other risk factors for suicides.

Results

The prevalence of mental disorders was higher among the young Chinese who died by suicide than among the living controls, but was lower than among suicides in the West. Marriage was not a protecting factor for suicide among young rural Chinese women, and never-married women who were involved in relationships were about three times more likely to commit suicide than single women who were unattached. Religion/religiosity was not a protecting factor in Chinese suicide, as it tended to be stronger for suicides than for controls. Impulsivity was significantly higher for suicides than for controls. Psychological strain, resulting from conflicting social values between communist gender equalitarianism and Confucian gender discrimination, was associated significantly with suicide in young rural Chinese women, even after accounting for the role of psychiatric illness.

Conclusions

Risk factors for suicide in rural China are different from those in the West. Psychological strain plays a role in suicide. Suicide prevention programs in China should incorporate culture-specific considerations.

Keywords

Chinamarriagepsychological strainreligionsuicide
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 4 , April 2010 , pp. 581 - 589
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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