奇文：自杀经济学

偶一直以为，像哈佛、MIT那些大名鼎鼎的经济学家，应该关注纯理论或者重大现实问题。没有想到，他们有时也八卦一下。你看，声明显赫的哈佛大学Edward L. Glaeser教授居然就研究起了“自杀经济学”。不过，他们研究的方法却非常正统。先是建立了一个博弈论模型，接着做了大量的实证分析，以表明青年人自杀的主要原因是寻求一种策略性的保护手段。有意思！大家不妨看看。

Explaining the Rise in Youth Suicide

David M. Cutler, Edward L. Glaeser, and Karen E. Norberg

Suicide rates among youths aged 15-24 have tripled in the past half-century, even as rates for adults and the elderly have declined. And for every youth suicide completion, there are nearly 400 suicide attempts. This paper examines the dynamics of youth suicide attempts and completions, and reaches three conclusions. First, we suggest that many suicide attempts by youths can be viewed as a strategic action on the part of the youth to resolve conflicts within oneself or with others. Youths have little direct economic or familial power, and in such a situation, self-injury can be used to signal istress or to encourage a response by others. Second, we present evidence for contagion effects.

Youths who have a friend or family member who attempts or commits suicide are more likely to attempt or commit suicide themselves. Finally, we show that to the extent we can explain the rise in youth suicide over time, the most important explanatory variable is the increased share of youths living in homes with a divorced parent. The divorce rate is more important for suicides than either the share of children living with step-parents or the share of female-headed households.

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