Age, sex and suicide rates within birth cohorts in England and Wales.

The relationships between suicide rates at different ages within male and female birth cohorts in England and Wales are examined. There is a sex difference in the pattern of mean correlations of within-cohort rates for various time intervals, with females showing a significant negative correlation between rates separated by 10-15 years. The full correlation matrix of age-specific rates indicates that this negative mean interval correlation is due to negative correlations between rates at age 35-44 years and rates at other ages. This suggests that the acceleration-deceleration model of suicide may be applicable to female rates, with a reduction in suicide associated with pregnancy and motherhood and a rebound increase in rates thereafter.