Abstract
While the predominance of a religious denomination may help determine the size and trend of nationwide suicide rates, religious affiliation seems to be of limited usefulness in predicting individual suicidal behavior. All the clinical studies reviewed below conclude that neither affiliation nor degree of religious involvement seems related in any significant way to suicide attempts. This conclusion appears to fit the general trend of secularization in Western society (Wilson, 1966), which signifies a reduction in the relative importance of religious factors in individual motivation.
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