Downturn Despair: Suicides Spike in Age of Austerity

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http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/09/18-4


There were nearly 5,000 more suicides than expected in the year after the global economic crisis, "one of the clearest signs of austerity's human cost.” (Photo: Grant Jones/cc/flickr)

The global economic crisis in 2008 has been linked to a rise in suicides in Europe and the U.S., among other countries, according to a new study.


In an analysis of the impact of the crisis published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, researchers looked at the number of suicides that actually occurred in 54 countries in 2009 as compared to those that had been expected to occur.

They found that there were almost 5,000 more suicides than expected. There was a 4.2% higher rate in Europe, and a 6.4% higher rate in the Americas, with men experiencing a higher rate than women. The higher rates were linked to a surge in unemployment levels.

The researchers write:

Rises in national suicide rates in 2009 seemed to be associated with the magnitude of increases in unemployment, particularly for men and in countries with low unemployment levels before the crisis. Our finding is likely to be an underestimate of the true global impact of the economic crisis on suicide as some affected countries, such as Australia and Italy, were not included. The rise in the number of suicides is only a small part of the emotional distress caused by the economic downturn. Non-fatal suicide attempts could be 40 times more common than completed suicides, and for every suicide attempt about 10 people experience suicidal thoughts.