The Impacts of Social Protection Policies and Programs on Suicide: A Literature Review

Abstract

Despite vigorous interest in showing the association between economic determinants and suicide, not many studies have focused on the social protection that can moderate the detrimental impact of the economic environment on suicide. This article is the first to review the relationship between suicide and social protection. In this article, I summarize the empirical findings and theoretical approaches in published papers on the relationship between suicide and social protection, and I identify knowledge gaps for future studies. The review included all quantitative and qualitative articles published in peer-reviewed journals, regardless of study setting, language, and time period. Among 19 papers meeting the inclusion criteria, 16 studies reported at least one negative association, 2 studies failed to prove a statistical association, and 1 study showed ambiguous results. However, due to the heterogeneity of contexts, the diversity of indicators of social protection, and the paucity of theoretical mechanisms for interpreting the results, further research is required in this area.

Adaptation of evidence‐based suicide prevention strategies during and after theCOVID‐19 pandemic

“…Unemployment, poverty and inequalities represent major risk factors for suicide which are considerably exacerbated by the current global crisis. Studies from high-income countries on the association between social protection policies and suicide rates 65 show that the various policies may have a different impact.…”

Is there a relationship between welfare-state policies and suicide rates? Evidence from the U.S. states, 2000–2015

“…A recent review (Kim, 2018) identified seven studies that investigated the relationship between social policy and suicide in the U.S. (Cylus et al, 2014;Flavin and Radcliff, 2009;Minoiu and Andrés, 2008;Ross et al, 2012;Zimmerman, 2002Zimmerman, , 1995Zimmerman, , 1987. These studies present some mixed evidence but overall, they indicate that there is a negative relationship between various forms of social protection and suicide.…”

The role of context in shaping the relationship between physical health and suicide over the life course

“…The suicide rate for those with a high school education or less appears to be particularly sensitive to increases in the minimum wage, especially during periods of high unemployment ( Kaufman et al, 2020 ). A broad review ( Kim, 2018 ) suggests that social protection policies play some role in moderating the negative effect of the economic environment on suicide.…”