February 11, 2015

expert reaction to unemployment linked with deaths by suicide

A study published in the The Lancet Psychiatry journal has looked at trends in suicide around the world, and a unemployment rates. The research team analysed data from 2000-2011 and report that overall suicide rates fell, and that suicides associated with unemployment generally were higher than for those associated with the recent economic downturn.

Prof. Joseph Zohar, Past-president, ECNP (European College of Neuropsychopharmacology) and Chair of the Expert Platform on Mental Health – Focus on Depression, said:

“This is an important paper, giving significant new detail to what we know about the link between unemployment and suicide, and underscoring the connection between environmental factors and mental health.

“It’s especially useful in highlighting the need for suicide prevention strategies even in prosperous, high-performing economies, since suicide rates – as the study nicely shows – increase even before the lay-offs hit. It’s another reminder that the cost of the crisis is not just economic, but has also come in human lives.”

Dr Roger Webb, Reader in Mental Health Epidemiology, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, said:

“This is a robust study using the world’s largest international dataset to assess the link between unemployment and rates of death by suicide. It has been known for some time that there is a correlation between unemployment and suicide. However, what is novel here is quantifying this link with unemployment. In particular this study compared the number of suicides that may be attributable to increases in unemployment seen since the most recent recession that commenced during 2008, as compared with unemployment during earlier times of economic stability.

“Even now we are not saying this is causation, what we have is a correlation between unemployment and death by suicide, but it may not be the unemployment itself. For example, when someone becomes unemployed it impacts family income, increases the likelihood of marital break-up, puts stress on relationships, can lead to a loss of esteem and can increase dependence on alcohol. Each of these leads to an increased likelihood of mental illness and it is mental illness, largely depression, which is the number one driver behind rates of death by suicide.

“In the same way, it is overly simplistic to say that if everyone was employed that we would prevent all or even most deaths by suicide. Even if everyone had a job suicides would still continue to occur. One example is that people on very low incomes still face many of the same challenges as those who are unemployed – concerns over providing for their family, reduced feeling of self-worth etc. One just needs to visit one of the many food banks to see how many people, even those who are employed, are still in need of support.

“From a policy perspective we shouldn’t just have a knee-jerk reaction when there’s a recession, because we should be looking to reduce deaths by suicide at all times. What we need to do is to focus on those with mental illness, whether caused by unemployment or something else, and ensure that they have the best support. Many people don’t die from suicide at their first attempt, it is after their second or third attempt, and knowing that an individual has history of suicidal behaviour allows us to focus on those at highest risk.”

‘Modelling suicide and unemployment: a longitudinal analysis covering 63 countries, 2000–11’ by Nordt et al. published in The Lancet Psychiatry on Wednesday 11^th February. 

Declared interests

Dr Roger Webb: “I am a joint author of the accompanying comment piece in The Lancet Psychiatry.”

No other interests declared