A Boolean analysis of the suicide rate in Iran

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of high suicide rate in some provinces of Iran. In fact, the present article, using the "province" analysis unit, has used Boolean algebra to answer the question: what combinations of causal factors have led to the high suicide rate in some provinces of Iran? To determine these causal factors, by reviewing the literature in sociology, four causal factors were selected to explain this issue: birth rate, industrialization rate, urbanization rate, and female labor force participation rate.The results of Boolean analysis showed that high birth rates and low tuition fees were necessary for the occurrence of high suicide rates in the provinces of Iran; That is, all provinces with high suicide rates had high birth rates and low tuition fees. The findings of Boolean analysis also showed that when these two explanatory factors of the necessary cause are combined with one of the two factors of low rate of industrialization or high rate of female labor force participation, they will be sufficient cause for high suicide rate in Iranian provinces. In other words, Boolean analysis showed that two different causal patterns have led to high suicide rates in the provinces of Iran. First, a combination of high birth rates with low rates of industrialization and urbanization. Second, a combination of high birth rates with low urbanization rates and high female labor force participation rates.