Citation

Zhang J, Jia S, Wieczorek WF, Jiang C. Arch. Suicide Res. 2002; 6(2): 167-184.

Copyright

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

DOI

10.1080/13811110208951174

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Chinese suicide research did not start until the end of 1970s, when China opened its door to the West through reforming its economy. Although limited Chinese suicide research conducted overseas is published and known to the West, studies conducted by Chinese researchers and published in Chinese language, which may be of more significance, are rarely known or cited in the West. Further, researchers in China with direct observation of the suicidal environment may understand the suicide differently than scholars overseas with second hand information, and therefore derive different explanations of Chinese suicide. This article provides an overview of suicide research conducted in China and published in Chinese during the past two decades and compares the findings with what has been reported in Western publications. Six research books and 429 journal articles are reviewed. As units of analysis, all journal articles are quantified with 151 variables analysed.

RESULTS support findings of previous studies in terms of the suicide rates by gender, age, and rural/urban location. A unique phenomenon in Chinese suicide noticed in the study is that married Chinese are at higher risk of suicide than the non-married. Hypotheses for future research are suggested based on the articles reviewed. Funding of this manuscript was provided by the NYS Office of Children & Family Services and the Niagara Country Department of Social Services through the Center for Development of Human Services, Research Foundation of SUNY, Buffalo State College. © 2002 International Academy for Suicide Research. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

China; Culture; Gender; Rural methods; Suicide