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0 pointssillysaurus212y ago0 comments

It seems like the propensity to commit suicide is probably a mental disorder, and everyone has the same probability of acquiring a mental disorder, whether they're rich or poor.

When flipping coins, it's rare, but not too rare, to see tails come up five times in a row. When you consider the statistics of suicide, it doesn't seem too far fetched to see a string of five suicides, even within a relatively short amount of time. It really is a shame, and I hope someday the causes will be better understood and made treatable.

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simonster12y ago

The studies I've seen suggest that the poor are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than the rich. http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=21121... estimates that 20-54 year olds making <$20,000 per year are 1.8x more likely to have a mood disorder and 3.7x more likely to attempt suicide than those making >$70,000/year. There is evidence for a relationship in the longitudinal analysis as well, so it's not necessarily a matter of upbringing.

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