Marital Breakdown, Parenthood and Suicide

Christopher H. Cantor and Penelope J. Slater, Suicide Research and Prevention Program , Princess Alexandria Hospital, Queensland.

Journal of Family Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2, October 1995, pp.91-102.

This is a particularly valuable study in that it identified people who were separated from various other categories of suicide. Statistics normally classify people as married, single, divorced or widowed, which creates the problem that people in the high-risk separated group get classified as married, thereby creating misleading outcomes both for the married group, who would appear at increased risk, and the separated group, on whom no accurate data had been available, but whom are shown here at extreme risk.

Chris Cantor has given this request:

"I am hoping to replicate the earlier study and take it a step further. At present funds are a major problem. We are running on the smell of an oily rag with total external funding for the whole Institute being only $100,000 per year. If you happen to know of any benevolent sources of say $20-30,000 we may be able to get the project finished sooner. Otherwise we may have to hope that opportunities present next year." Chris Cantor - October 1998

This study was conducted in Queensland between 1990 and 1992 inclusive, covering 1375 subjects. Key findings were:

• Separated (compared with married) males were six times more likely to suicide, and this was greater in younger groups.
• Separated female suicide rates were not significantly elevated, but in the divorce phase both male and female rates were similarly elevated.
• Males were particularly vulnerable to suicide associated with interpersonal conflict in the separation phase.
• It is possible that females may be protected against suicide by child rearing responsibilities....

Copies of this paper should be available from the library at:

Australian Institute of Family Studies
300 Queen Street, Melbourne  VIC  3000
Phone: 61 3 9214 7888, Fax: 61 3 9214 7839