Religion can influence suicide rates, a new study shows. While data have long shown that Protestants are more likely to commit suicide than Catholics, the relationship remains little understood. The study by Professors Sascha Becker (University of Warwick, U.K.) and Ludger Woessmann (University of Munich, Germany) demonstrates a causal link between Protestantism and suicide.
Becker and Woessmann sought to find whether the higher suicide rate among Protestants was due to self-selection. There could be some factors that influence whether a person chooses Protestantism versus Catholicism which also influence the likelihood that they will commit suicide.
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