Unlivable : housing conditions, residential course, and mortality by suicide : a study of Belgian administrative data

Belgium presents the highest suicide rate in Western Europe. Studies on the determinants of suicide mortality include many aspects of an individual’s life course but often forget the role of the residential course in terms of quality of the living environment and mobility. Still, residential context and transitions are at the core of human experiences and strong predictors of well-being and life satisfaction. This thesis investigates the relationship between three dimensions of the living environment and suicide mortality among the working-age population living in Belgium. It gives specific... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Damiens, Joan Jany
Dokumenttyp: doctoralThesis
Erscheinungsdatum: 2023
Schlagwörter: Suicide mortality / Living environment / Housing conditions / Residential mobility / Social inequalities / Demography / Mental health
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26527104
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/280430

Belgium presents the highest suicide rate in Western Europe. Studies on the determinants of suicide mortality include many aspects of an individual’s life course but often forget the role of the residential course in terms of quality of the living environment and mobility. Still, residential context and transitions are at the core of human experiences and strong predictors of well-being and life satisfaction. This thesis investigates the relationship between three dimensions of the living environment and suicide mortality among the working-age population living in Belgium. It gives specific attention to the life-course context. First, I study how social expectations over homeownership can impact the relationship between housing tenure and suicide mortality, according to an individual’s age, gender and household composition. Second, I examine the relationship between housing quality, satisfaction over neighbourhood and suicide mortality, and the relative importance of these environmental determinants according to gender and life stages. Finally, I estimate the relationship between residential mobility and suicide mortality, giving particular attention to the partnership context of the move. An alternative outcome – antidepressant consumption – is considered to answer this question. Based on Belgium population data, providing high-quality information on the whole working-age population living in Belgium, this thesis brings together living environment conditions and transitions, life course trajectories and suicide mortality – the theoretical stakes, the methodological challenges and the complexity and limits of this relationship. ; (POLS - Sciences politiques et sociales) -- UCL, 2023