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Epidemic suicide among Micronesian adolescents
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Micronesian adolescent males, aged 15-24, show epidemic suicide rates linked to post-war social changes. Disintegration of traditional village structures shifted socialization to families, increasing domestic discord and triggering imitative suicide acts.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Cultural Anthropology
- Public Health
Background:
- Since 1960, Micronesia has experienced epidemic-like increases in suicide rates.
- This phenomenon is concentrated in adolescent males (15-24 years old), with culturally patterned motives and methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the epidemic increase in adolescent male suicide in Micronesia.
- To understand the impact of socio-cultural changes on suicide rates.
- To identify factors contributing to adolescent stress and suicide.
Main Methods:
- Survey research across Micronesia to identify trends.
- Analysis of suicide rates as a cohort effect among the post-war generation.
- Planned ethnographic study in a Micronesian community.
Main Results:
- Post-war social changes led to the disintegration of traditional village socialization.
- Socialization functions shifted to the nuclear family, increasing intergenerational domestic discord.
- Suicides have gained subcultural significance, leading to imitative behaviors among youth.
Conclusions:
- Intergenerational domestic discord within the nuclear family appears to be a primary social trigger for adolescent male suicide.
- The shift from communal to nuclear family socialization is a key factor in the suicide epidemic.
- Further ethnographic research is needed to fully understand the contributing factors to adolescent suicide.