Citation

Stack S. Arch. Suicide Res. 2002; 1(1): 61-67.

Affiliation

Center for Suicide Research, Troy, MI, USA Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, International Academy of Suicide Research, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13811110213120

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Quantitative suicidologists have used four levels of analysis: individual cross sectional, individual longitudinal, aggregate cross sectional, and aggregate longitudinal. The dynamics and limitations of these approaches are illustrated through a review of 134 studies and 795 findings on divorce and suicide. Nine out of every ten findings from individual level analyses support a link between divorce and suicide. However, the exact dynamics accounting for this link remain, even today, not well understood. While structural cross sectional studies find support for the divorce-suicide like 80 percent of the time, longitudinal aggregate research typically fails to support this linkage. It is unlikely that either quantitative or qualitative individual level work can adequately address this one inconsistency in the research. To date, research and theory are better able to explain the relationship at the individual level than at the aggregate level of analysis.