Suicide rate has risen in the wake of the financial crisis

Financial crisis causes massive increase in suicide rate

07/11/2011

The financial crisis has significantly increased the number of suicides in Europe. More and more people have taken their own lives in the wake of the financial crisis out of desperation. The suicide rate in European countries has risen by up to 17 percent between 2007 and 2009, researchers write in the journal „The Lancet“.

The number of suicides has increased significantly in the wake of the financial crisis in Europe, according to a recent study by US and British researchers. David McKee from the University of Cambridge (UK), Martin McKee from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK) and Sanjay Basu from the University of California (USA) report in the journal „The Lancet“, That the suicide rate in 90 percent of the nations studied increased during the financial crisis. At the same time, unemployment has increased by a third. According to the researchers, however, the number of traffic accidents has dropped sharply over the same period, due to reduced mobility in economically difficult times.

Suicide rate massively increased by the financial crisis
According to British and US researchers, the suicide rate has risen massively during the financial crisis, especially in Europe. In the context of their study, the scientists have shown that between 2007 and 2009 a growing number of people of working age took their own lives. Suicide rates rose in nine out of ten countries, said David Stuckler, Martin McKee and Sanjay Basu. The suicide rate among people under the age of 65 in European countries has increased by as much as 17 percent during the financial crisis. David Stuckler emphasized that „before the recession, the number of suicides“ continuously dropped, „to then increase in almost all of the European countries studied.“ According to the British scientist is „this increase almost certainly due to the financial crisis.“ The researchers said that the steady decline in suicides during the financial crisis had suddenly reversed.

Greece and Ireland hardest hit
Stuckler, McKee and Basu are the most noticeable trends in the heavily affected countries such as Greece and Ireland. While the newly acceded European countries experienced only a relatively moderate increase in suicide rates, the number of suicides in Greece, for example, increased massively, the researchers said. The suicide rate in the battered Mediterranean state has increased by 17 percent. Overall, the suicides in 2009 on average increased by around five percent in all EU nations, the experts report. One exception in the current study was Austria, where the suicide rate continued to decline despite the financial crisis. As an explanation for this, the researchers called a lower burden of the financial crisis than in other European countries. Although, according to the scientists, further data analysis is necessary to be able to make concrete statements, it can already be seen that the „Countries that faced the biggest problems, such as Greece and Ireland, were particularly high at 17 and 13 percent, respectively“ in the suicides. However, the financial crisis also has a positive effect: The number of road deaths had dropped significantly, as well as the traffic in economically worse times correspondingly lower fail, the researchers said.

Health consequences of the financial crisis
The scientists also warned of the other possible health consequences that could result from such financial crises. Because the financial problems, the economic uncertainty and the increased pressure bring an increased sense of stress, which can cause additional health problems, said David Stuckler and colleagues. Thus, for example, in the long term, economically difficult times, increases in heart and cancer are expected in the long term. In addition, one can assume an increase in mental illness, which according to the current studies of the German health insurance has already been used in this country. For example, the Techniker Krankenkasse had already submitted in February the figures for the year 2010, which again confirmed a massive increase in mental disorders such as depression. Also the health report 2011 of the German employee health insurance came to similar results, however a possible connection with the financial crisis with the examinations of the health insurance companies was not considered further. (Fp)

Image: Gerd Altmann / AllSilhouettes.com