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Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Suicide risk is associated with a variety of factors. Personal factors include childhood abuse, certain personality traits (eg, impulsiveness, aggression) , and history of mental illness. Over 90% of people who attempt suicide meet diagnostic criteria for at least one psychological disorder, and suicide risk increases as the number of co-occurring disorders increases. Diagnosis severity also matters: studies suggest that individuals are at greatest risk of attempting suicide while inpatient at or newly discharged from a psychiatric hospital.Social factors also play a role in suicide. Sociologist Émile Durkheim argued that embeddedness in society is a key feature in determining the likelihood of an individual committing suicide. Specifically, the more people that depend on an individual financially, emotionally, or physically, the less likely that individual is to commit suicide. Studies suggest that suicide is also linked to religious affiliation and income level. Religious groups that place more value on community events, church attendance, and collective solidarity tend to have lower rates of suicide among members, whereas more affluent individuals are more likely to commit suicide.Economic trends have also been linked to suicide. One study retrospectively analyzed the relationship between the U.S. economy and suicide rates. It found that the overall suicide rate tends to rise during economic recessions and drop during economic expansions (Figure 1) .
Figure 1 U.S. suicide rates compared to economic trendsFurther analysis of suicide data suggests that for every individual who successfully commits suicide, approximately 25 individuals are unsuccessful in such attempts, costing the United States billions of dollars annually in both lost wages and treatment expense. Although white, middle-aged men are the most likely cohort to successfully commit suicide, women attempt suicide three times more often than men.
-How would a proponent of Malthusian theory most likely interpret the data in Figure 1?

Question

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Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Suicide risk is associated with a variety of factors. Personal factors include childhood abuse, certain personality traits (eg, impulsiveness, aggression) , and history of mental illness. Over 90% of people who attempt suicide meet diagnostic criteria for at least one psychological disorder, and suicide risk increases as the number of co-occurring disorders increases. Diagnosis severity also matters: studies suggest that individuals are at greatest risk of attempting suicide while inpatient at or newly discharged from a psychiatric hospital.Social factors also play a role in suicide. Sociologist Émile Durkheim argued that embeddedness in society is a key feature in determining the likelihood of an individual committing suicide. Specifically, the more people that depend on an individual financially, emotionally, or physically, the less likely that individual is to commit suicide. Studies suggest that suicide is also linked to religious affiliation and income level. Religious groups that place more value on community events, church attendance, and collective solidarity tend to have lower rates of suicide among members, whereas more affluent individuals are more likely to commit suicide.Economic trends have also been linked to suicide. One study retrospectively analyzed the relationship between the U.S. economy and suicide rates. It found that the overall suicide rate tends to rise during economic recessions and drop during economic expansions (Figure 1) .

Figure 1 U.S. suicide rates compared to economic trendsFurther analysis of suicide data suggests that for every individual who successfully commits suicide, approximately 25 individuals are unsuccessful in such attempts, costing the United States billions of dollars annually in both lost wages and treatment expense. Although white, middle-aged men are the most likely cohort to successfully commit suicide, women attempt suicide three times more often than men.
-How would a proponent of Malthusian theory most likely interpret the data in Figure 1?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

11ecba2d_0c90_bf08_a3bf_cbb2fea3592e_MD0008_00 The Malthusian theory of population growth suggests that the human population increases exponentially while resources increase at a slower rate. According to this theory, the population growth rate can be slowed by preventative checks and positive checks. Preventative checks are those that decrease the birth rate (and are typically voluntary, such as waiting to marry and having fewer children). Positive checks increase the death rate, slowing population growth by shortening the average life span. Positive checks can be small-scale (eg, increased death rate due to a flu virus) or large-scale (eg, an epidemic that wipes out half the population). Large-scale positive checks, called Malthusian catastrophes (eg, widespread famine, disease epidemics, large-scale wars), dramatically reduce the population to a level that the available resources can easily sustain, by slowing or stopping population growth entirely. (Choice A) Increases in suicide rates, even up to the highest rates in Figure 1 (15-20 suicides per 100,000 people), will not have a large enough impact on the population to be considered a Malthusian catastrophe. (Choice B) According to Malthusian theory, the increased death rate (not the decreased suicide rate) during World War II would be considered a positive check, supporting the theory. (Choice D) A negative check does not exist in Malthusian theory, only positive checks and preventative checks. Educational objective: The Malthusian theory of population growth asserts that when the population grows faster than the resources necessary to sustain that population, preventative checks (reducing the birthrate) or positive checks (increasing the death rate) can slow down growth. A Malthusian catastrophe is a large-scale positive check that slows or stops population growth.

Passage Suicide Is One of the Leading Causes of Death in in the United