@article{ref1,
title="Is the suicide rate a random walk?",
journal="Psychological reports",
year="2015",
author="Yang Lester, Bijou and Lester, David and Lyke, Jennifer and Olsen, Robert",
volume="116",
number="3",
pages="983-985",
abstract="The yearly suicide rates for the period 1933-2010 and the daily suicide numbers for 1990 and 1991 were examined for whether the distribution of difference scores (from year to year and from day to day) fitted a normal distribution, a characteristic of stochastic processes that follow a random walk. If the suicide rate were a random walk, then any disturbance to the suicide rate would have a permanent effect and national suicide prevention efforts would likely fail. The distribution of difference scores from day to day (but not the difference scores from year to year) fitted a normal distribution and, therefore, were consistent with a random walk.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0033-2941",
doi="10.2466/12.13.PR0.116k28w4",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/12.13.PR0.116k28w4"
}