Trends in US suicide mortality rates 1968 to 1982: race and sex differences in age, period and cohort components.

Interest has recently emerged in increases in suicide among US teenagers. Nonetheless suicide remains one of the major causes of death among the fastest growing components of the US population--the elderly. We examine the trends in US age-specific suicide rates for the period 1962 to 1981 for four elderly race and sex groups. The trends were analysed using a Poisson regression model which isolated the age, period, cohort effects for suicide mortality for demographic groups. Age, period and cohort effects all significantly contributed to these trends. The race and sex differences were largest for the age pattern of changes in suicide mortality. Of particular interest was the different contribution of each of these factors to recent increases in mortality at advanced ages for black males--a hitherto little recognized or studied trend.