Marriage and Suicide among Chinese Rural Young Women

Suicides by young females in rural China contribute substantially to the high rate of suicide and the total number of suicides in China. Given the traditional familial structure that remains largely intact in rural China, this research focuses on whether being married is a risk or protective factor for suicide by young women. I examined 168 rural female suicides ages 15 to 35 in comparison with 211 rural female controls in the same age range. It was found that being married is not a protective factor for suicide in rural China. Fertility events are not related to suicide risk for rural young women. Social support is stronger for unmarried women than for married women, and risk factors tend to be family-related issues. I interpret the findings in light of Durkheim's notion of fatalistic suicide and add the Strain Theory of Suicide to account for the rural young women's suicide in Chinese culture contexts.