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Your comment reminds me of the paradoxical fact that countries with high "life satisfaction" scores have higher rates of suicide: http://healthland.time.com/201

Your comment reminds me of the paradoxical fact that countries with high "life satisfaction" scores have higher rates of suicide: http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/25/why-the-happiest-states-have-the-highest-suicide-rates/ http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/25/why-the-happiest-state... This trend is also seen throughout the socio-economic strata: http://business.time.com/2012/11/08/why-suicides-are-more-common-in-richer-neighborhoods/ http://business.time.com/2012/11/08/why-suicides-are-more-co... . To wit: Poor people kill each other, rich people kill themselves. It's a very curious dynamic.

unfocused13 8y ago
Could it be possible that financially well-off people feel less stigma about suicide because the people they leave behind would not be affected as negatively as if they were poor? For example, a poor inner-city parent committing suicide would leave behind children in danger of falling into poverty. But a wealthy parent would know their children could be "all right" living off of the insurance and inherited wealth from the parent.
- modells 8y ago
  Yes and no. If you look at the difference in general, average of lives: - poorer people have more friends whom, by poverty, aren't as able to move as much as first-world people, more physical labor (exercise), more children depending on them and fewer choices / expectations / freedoms... the net effects of these factors lead to less idleness, less depression and more happiness - rich, first-world people have shallower friends whom move a lot, less physical work (more sedentary, less exercise), fewer children and infinite choices... more idleness, more depression and less satisfaction. Also, if your entire Maslow hierarchy of needs is met, what do you do? What's your purpose? What meaningful problem can you solve or world condition can you change? These sort of existential crises, I think, lead to most suicides because people feel they have no purpose, no function, no power, no influence and therefore don't matter.
  - deleted 8y ago
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acover 8y ago
I've read that income was negatively correlated with suicides. From your time article: > the study’s authors do point to findings that higher income generally lowers suicide risk. For example, an individual with family income less than $10,000 (in 1990 dollars) is 50% more likely to commit suicide than an individual with income above $60,000.

unfocused13 8y ago

Could it be possible that financially well-off people feel less stigma about suicide because the people they leave behind would not be affected as negatively as if they were poor? For example, a poor inner-city parent committing suicide would leave behind children in danger of falling into poverty. But a wealthy parent would know their children could be "all right" living off of the insurance and inherited wealth from the parent.

modells 8y ago
Yes and no. If you look at the difference in general, average of lives: - poorer people have more friends whom, by poverty, aren't as able to move as much as first-world people, more physical labor (exercise), more children depending on them and fewer choices / expectations / freedoms... the net effects of these factors lead to less idleness, less depression and more happiness - rich, first-world people have shallower friends whom move a lot, less physical work (more sedentary, less exercise), fewer children and infinite choices... more idleness, more depression and less satisfaction. Also, if your entire Maslow hierarchy of needs is met, what do you do? What's your purpose? What meaningful problem can you solve or world condition can you change? These sort of existential crises, I think, lead to most suicides because people feel they have no purpose, no function, no power, no influence and therefore don't matter.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

acover 8y ago

I've read that income was negatively correlated with suicides. From your time article: > the study’s authors do point to findings that higher income generally lowers suicide risk. For example, an individual with family income less than $10,000 (in 1990 dollars) is 50% more likely to commit suicide than an individual with income above $60,000.