Atheism Stack Exchange Archive

What research exists correlating Atheism and Suicide?

• posted by: jaskey13 on 2011-03-14
• tagged: resources-references, society
• score: 5

So far, I have found two statistical resources:

1. The first, a paper by Phil Zuckerman called “Atheism: Contemporary Rates & Patterns”, indicates a strong correlation between societal health and more prevalent atheism. The only part indicating a possible negative connotation is for suicide rates. However, it is mentioned that such a correlation is not clear as statistics from former Soviet-Bloc countries seem to throw off the total statistics- the reason being that societal problems in these countries may be the true force behind higher rates of suicide. However, it is telling that the suicide rates are lowest in highly religious countries- giving more of an indirect atheism–>suicide correlation.More at: http://www.pitzer.edu/academics/faculty/zuckerman/Ath-Chap-under-7000.pdf

2. Second, an article from WHO- also on first glance seems to indicate a correlation between higher suicide rates and atheism. But on examination it is noted that the data from China, a country enforcing atheism, largely dominates. Once again, it seems that societal problems (in this case extreme repression) may be the true correlation. But again the case is indirectly made for religion lowering the rates of suicide. More at: http://www.iasp.info/pdf/papers/Bertolote.pdf

What further research is out there that looks more in depth at these statistics? I’d like to see some further materials indicating:

• whether there is a true correlation between atheism and suicide
• whether there is any research in to causation
• whether lower suicide rates in religious countries amount to a de facto statistical correlation between atheism and suicide

Answer 3148

• posted by: Satanicpuppy on 2011-03-14
• score: 3

Bah. I hate to say it, but the standard fact is, atheism is strongly correlated with intelligence. And high intelligence is strongly correlated to suicide.

So you can do a study and show that atheists are more likely to kill themselves, but the correlation is more pronounced if you say that intellectuals are more likely to kill themselves.

Answer 3142

• posted by: Jimbo on 2011-03-14
• score: 1

I’d like to see more data too.

Consider this though.

Suicide is the ending of life.

Many religions teach that your life continues after death.

So for an atheist and a person who believes in life after death, suicide can have a very different meaning.

For an atheist suicide is the ending of your life forever. For a person who believes in life after death, it is the ending of this life and the problems of this life.

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