| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 政治經濟學研究所 === 100 === The suicide rates among the elderly aged 65 and over have been the highest, compared to other age groups in Taiwan. This study investigates the effects of socioeconomic factors on the suicide rate of the elderly in Taiwan during the period of 1990-2010. The panel data of 21 years are collected from 23 counties/cities. The elderly are further divided into three age groups: age 65 and over, 65-74, and 75 and over, in both sexes. The explanatory variables are divorce rate, change of unemployment rate, female labor participation rate, change in real per capita disposable income, rate of widows/widowers, total fertility rate, dependency ratio of the elderly. To avoid spurious results, LLC unit root tests are performed, and all the variables are stationary.
The regression results of the fixed effects model suggest, in the economic factors: (i) change in unemployment rate is positively associated with the male aged 65-74, who could be concerned about economic fluctuations in he/she situated county or city; (ii) change in real per capita disposable income is negatively associated with the female aged 65 and above, and 75 and over, and both sexes aged 75 and above, and clearly shown gender differences in economic impacts. As for social factors, there are significantly positive influences on elderly suicide rate, from crude divorce rate, dependency ratio of the elderly. In addition, total fertility rate may also have positive effects on the suicide rates of the group of age 75 and over and the female subset. The estimated directions of influence are contrary to the expectations, which could be related to the child bearing and rearing and thereby crowd out the limited resources and indirectly cause suicide among the elderly.
The estimated results indicate that the rates of suicide among the elderly are subjected to impacts from the economic and social determinants. Among them, crude divorce rate, dependency ratio of the elderly and total fertility rate may all have positive effects on the suicide rate. Meanwhile, gender factor may also play a significant role in changes of unemployment rates for the male aged 65-74, and changes in real per capita disposable income for the female aged 65 and above. To mitigate the suicide among the elderly, the empirical results suggest that government should enhance the social welfare of the elderly. Furthermore, the family should also pay more attention to take care of the elders as an effective preventive measure from the suicide.
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