6 AUGUST 1937, Page 6

We know rather too little about the causes and incidence

of suicide. According to the new Home Office Criminal Statistics there were 5,156 suicides in England and Wales in 1935, or 33o fewer than in 1934. That may be accounted for to some extent by the diminution in unemployment, a theory borne out by the fact that there has been a steady decrease since 1932. Most men committed suicide at over 60, most women between so and 6o. Is the cause there mainly economic or psychological ? Rather surprisingly suicides by children under 16 numbered no more than eight, though there were in addition 34 unsuccessful attempts. The literature on suicide is scantier than might be expected, having regard to the sociological importance of the subject.