Suicidal behaviour of young immigrant women in the Netherlands. Can we use Durkheim’s concept of ‘fatalistic suicide’ to explain their high incidence of attempted suicide?

Young immigrant women of South Asian, Turkish and Moroccan originin the Netherlands demonstrate disproportionate rates of non-fatalsuicidal behaviour. Suicidal behaviour is usually explained from apsychological or medical tradition. However, we would like to emphasizesociological correlates, by examining the relevance of Durkheim’s fatalisticsuicide, characterized by overregulation. We conducted a retrospectiveanalysis of 115 case files of young women who demonstratedsuicidal behaviour, to illuminate their living conditions. The analysisincluded a comparison of class factors as well as psychiatric andpsychological risk factors. In at least half of the cases, South Asian,Turkish and Moroccan women experienced specific stressful life eventsrelated to their family honour. Women’s lives were often characterized bya lack of self-autonomy. It is concluded that the archetype of fatalisticsuicide should be re-evaluated when interpreting the suicidal behaviour ofyoung immigrant women in the Netherlands, and incorporated intostrategies of prevention