This study aims to evaluate the validity, and hence the utility, of suicide statistics in the United States, an essential prerequisite for analyzing the causes of suicide. This research follows up on earlier work by the principal investigators which found a misreporting of suicide in 1969- 70. The present study draws on sociological theory to examine how the personal, professional and community ties of coroners and medical examiners operate to influence their decisions in classifying "suspicious" deaths. This network approach will be tested using data collected from all coroners and medical examiners in the United States in 1989 and 1990. These data will be used in conjunction with other data from the U.S. Census, the National Council of Churches, and the Nation Center for Health Statistics. Given the growing concern about the rise in reported rates of suicide in the United States, especially among youth, research on the reporting process itself is critical. This study should shed light on how official rates might be adjusted to identify high risk groups and, in the process, clarify the underlying causes of suicide.
