The education–suicide mortality gradient. Issue 9 (21st May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cook, Adam
• Is Part Of: Applied economics letters. Volume 26:Issue 9(2019)
• Page Start: 717
• Page End: 721
• Publication Date: 2019-05-21
• Subjects: Suicide -- education -- health -- mortality -- human capital; I12 -- I21 -- C21; Economics -- Periodicals; Economics, Mathematical -- Periodicals; 330
• DOI: 10.1080/13504851.2018.1489499
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-4851

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Using the fifth release of the National Longitudinal Mortality Survey, I examine the role of educational attainment and self-reported health on 6- and 11-year suicide mortality risk in the United States. I first replicate the original results reported by Hamermesh and Soss. . Then, augmenting the Hamermesh model with initial educational attainment and self-reported health status, I find that years of education significantly raises suicide mortality risk in the US after controlling for initial self-reported health. This result is robust to regression specification, replication and the inclusion of covariates.