Intelligence and Suicide: Is There a Link?

In today's society of over achievers, could there be any clout given to a theorized link between IQ range and suicide rates? The British Medical Journal and scientist Martin Voracek have very different ideas on the subject.

The British Medical Journal conducted one of the largest studies ever on the relevant coincidences between suicide rates and IQ test scores. The researchers found that men with exceptionally low scores were two to three times more likely to commit self-murder or suicide. The study was conducted in Sweden, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. One million men were tested for IQ level at age 18 when they entered national service. These men were followed until reaching 44 years of age. During that time, 2,811 men committed suicide. Of the suicides, the majority were men who had scored the lowest on the logic portion of the exam.

Low logic scores led the researchers to believe the men were less able to "solve problems in a crisis." Further study also concluded, the less formal education the men received the more likely they were to commit suicide.

Contrary to all the findings of the British Medical Journal, Martin Voracek believes the higher a person's IQ the more likely they are to commit suicide.

Voracek bases his research on the growing problem of suicide in the Western world. With 2% of Western deaths attributed to self murder and an American committing suicide every 15 minutes, Voracek links rising IQ scores to the phenomenon.

Controversial tables of national average IQ levels are used to back up Voracek's theory. By comparing various IQ averages with the national suicide rates he has concluded countries with lower average IQ's also have lower suicide rates and vice versa. For instance, Jamaica and Albania both have national IQ's less than 100 and suicide rates of less than three people per 100,000 men or women. While Germany and Japan, on the other hand, have average IQ's more than 100 with suicide rates topping 20 per 100,000 for men and eight per 100,000 for women.

Whether or not you believe the British Medical Journal or Martin Voracek raises the more compelling argument is irrelevant at this stage of research. Each team has proven statistical facts backing their theories and with one half the data supporting the British and the other supporting Voracek, we can only be left with one true conclusion, "We need a lot more research."