TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2015//
TI  - Is the suicide rate a random walk?
JO  - Psychological reports
A1  - Yang Lester, Bijou
A1  - Lester, David
A1  - Lyke, Jennifer
A1  - Olsen, Robert
SP  - 983
EP  - 985
VL  - 116
IS  - 3
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 0033-2941
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/12.13.PR0.116k28w4
ID  - ref1
ER  -