States' Public Welfare Expenditures as Predictors of State Suicide Rates

ABSTRACT: This exploratory multiple‐regression study took its cue from social integration theory to examine the relative importance of state per capita expenditures for public welfare in predicting state suicide rates when controlling for the effects of state divorce rates, state population change rates, and the percentage of persons with annual incomes between $10,000 and $19,999. While the four variables together accounted for .73 of the explained variance in state suicide rates, the effects of state per capita expenditures for public welfare were not very important when those of the other variables were taken into account. This, however, does not mean that state per capita expenditures for public welfare are inconsequential with respect to state suicide rates, inasmuch as they were inversely related to each of the other three independent variables, each of which was positively related to state suicide rates. This means that state per capita expenditures are indirectly related to suicide—in a negative direction. The implications of the findings for policy and suicide prevention are briefly discussed. 1987 The American Association for Suicidology