Modeling Durkheim on the micro level: A study of youth suicidality

Durkheim's classic theory of suicide deals with central and recurrent themes of sociological inquiry, such as the nature of social order, deviance, and individual well-being. In this study, family integration and parental regulation are operationalized as independent constructs and tested in relation to anomie, suicidal suggestion, and suicidality. We find that integration and regulation can be meaningfully distinguished on both the theoretical and empirical levels. The findings support the primacy of integration, while accommodating the independent role of regulation. Youths who are strongly integrated into their families are less likely to succumb to anomie and suicidality, but parental regulation does not appear to have such an effect. However, family integration and parental regulation have independent effects on suicidal suggestion.