Suicide, unemployment and other socioeconomic factors: evidence from the economic crisis in Greece

Abstract

GREECEABSTRACT -Background and Objectives: Economic adverse conditions are acknowledged as having a major impact on the exacerbation of mental disorders and suicides. The severity of current European crisis and the local unrelenting spending is affecting largely the economy of Greece.Methods: The aim of this study was to explore changes in suicides and their possible association with macroeconomic and behavioural factors. Data for the period 1990-2011 were drawn mainly from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and Eurostat. Suicide mortality rates were correlated with economic and behavioural factors.Results: Suicide mortality rates were increased by 55.8% between 2007 and 2011 while the total mortality was increased by 1.1% only. Significantly increasing trends in public debt, unemployment rates, consumption of daily units of antidepressants as well as divorces per 1000, homicides per 100,000 and persons with HIV per 100,000 were also observed. Suicides have been found to bear strong correlation with unemployment (r. 0.64). Significant associations were also found between suicide mortality and the percentage of public debt as percentage of GDP, the incidence of infections from HIV and homicides.Conclusions: People suffering from income and job losses, living in a demoralized social state caused by severe austerity measures and restrictive health policies, are exposed to risks for developing depression or commit suicide.

The impact of unemployment on mental health examined in a community mental health unit during the recent financial crisis in Greece

“…16 Studies in Greece showed an increase in the total number of suicides in the early years of the economic crisis between 2008 and 2011, 17,18 and a significant increase in prevalence in reported suicide attempts and suicidal ideation during the same period. 10,19,20 More specifically, in Greece the number of suicide deaths increased by 55.8% in 2007-2011, although the total mortality rate increased by only 1.1% 21 in the same period. Concerning the impact of financial conditions on suicide, correlations of changes in suicide rate with the unemployment rate and the amount of the public debt were found 21 during the same period.…”

“…10,19,20 More specifically, in Greece the number of suicide deaths increased by 55.8% in 2007-2011, although the total mortality rate increased by only 1.1% 21 in the same period. Concerning the impact of financial conditions on suicide, correlations of changes in suicide rate with the unemployment rate and the amount of the public debt were found 21 during the same period. A significant impact of unemployment, economic distress and low educational level on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was also detected by a country-wide epidemiological study in 2013.…”

Suicide Rates in Greece: Comparing Mortality Data with Police Reporting Statistics and Investigating Recent Trends

“…Most of those reports are based on scientific research findings. From the very early and sometimes poorly justified papers Madianos et al 2011;Chang et al 2013) to the more recent works (Rachiotis et al 2015;Branas et al 2015;Antonakakis and Collins 2014;Madianos et al 2014;Gatopoulos 2013), suicides -in absolute numbers as well as in rates -have skyrocketed in response to increasing joblessness, serious income setbacks, health deterioration and depression. Yet this relationship is rather speculative, since neither the nature of the data nor the methods applied allow for establishing causality.…”

The Economic Crisis in Greece and Its Impact on the Seasonality of Suicides in the Athens Greater Area

“…Madianos et al12 reported that suicide mortality rates were increased by 55.8% between 2007 and 2011, when the austerity measures were implemented, while the total mortality was increased by only 1.1%. Similar results were reported by Rachiotis et al13 who found that the suicide rates overall increased by 35% between 2010 and 2012.…”