本研究利用空間分析方法,針對2001至2003年經濟成長與2007至2009年景氣衰退期間之台灣鄉鎮市區自殺死亡率進行研究,目的在於探討兩個不同時期中,台灣自殺死亡率的地區差異與空間分佈型態,比較兩個時期自殺率的差異,檢驗經濟因素對自殺死亡率的影響,並探討其影響是否會在不同景氣的時期中而有所改變。 探索性空間資料分析的結果顯示,台灣鄉鎮市區之自殺死亡率並非隨機分佈,而有顯著的空間聚集現象。從時間變化上來說,自殺率聚集的強度不但從1980、1990至2000年有逐漸減弱的趨勢,到了2002與2008年間仍在逐漸減弱當中。 實證結果發現,台灣各鄉鎮市區自殺死亡率的高低確實會受到空間鄰近效應的影響,但是與經濟因素、景氣變化以及兩者之交互作用無關。因為經濟景氣衰退而導致自殺率上升的情形在台灣現實社會中並未發生,失業率與人均所得並不是影響自殺行為的主要原因,而地區之社會結構、生活資源以及年齡等才是影響自殺率高低的主要因素。
In this paper, we use Spatial Analysis to study the suicide rates in Taiwan townships during the two different economic condition period (2001~2003, 2007~2009). In order to fully examine the suicide rate, we explore the regional differences, spatial distribution pattern and compare differences. Furthermore, we test whether there is a causation link between the economic factors and the suicide rate in two periods. Exploratory spatial data analysis shows that the suicide rates are not randomly distributed in Taiwan, but present a significant spatial clustering phenomenon. The trend of cluster is declining gradually not only from 1980, 1990 to 2000, but also still going down in the following years (2002~2008). According to empirical analysis results, we found that although the suicide rates have significant differences in two different periods, unemployment rate and income per capita does not have statistically significant impact on suicide rate. Therefore, it is hard to say the economic recession led to the increasing suicide rate. We conclude that the neighborhood effect have a significant influence on suicide rates. Therefore, the main factors affecting the suicide rates were social structure, living resources, and population age.