National suicide and homicide rates: correlates versus predictors

The present study explored correlates of national suicide and homicide rates in a sample of industrialized nations. A large set of social variables was factor-analyzed and the factors were correlated with both suicide and homicide rates and with changes in these rates. Different social variables were found to correlate with rates of suicide than with rates of homicide, and different variables correlated with current rates of personal violence than with changes in these rates.