State-Level Income Inequality as a Determinant of Suicide Mortality in the United States.

This article investigates the relationship between state-level income inequality and suicide mortality in the United States using data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS). Employing multiple measures of income inequality—including the Gini coefficient, which quantifies income distribution on a scale from 1 to 100—and rigorously controlled logistic regression models, the study finds a consistent, statistically significant positive association between greater income inequality and higher odds of suicide mortality. Specifically, individuals living in states with the highest income inequality have between 20 percent and 55 percent greater odds of suicide mortality compared to those in the lowest inequality states. These findings have implications for mental health professionals in suicide risk assessment and for policymakers and advocates considering economic inequality as a factor in public health interventions.