The effects of the last global economic crisis on the suicide rate in Europe

Abstract

Introduction

Since 1897, Émile Durkheim noted that suicides occur more often during the economic changes that disrupt the social structure of society.

Objective and aims

The objective of this study is to analyze the consequences of last global economic crisis on mortality by suicide in the EU countries in period 2007–2012.

Material and method

We extracted data on mortality from the WHO database and unemployment trends from the EUROSTAT database. We had used this data to calculate the effect of unemployment on suicide rate, in pre-2004 and post-2004 EU countries.

Results

If the number of suicides from 2007 was maintained in 2008–2012 period, EU 27 countries would have registered with 16,572 fewer suicides. The increase of suicides is based on the increasing number of suicides in men. The small increase in the suicide rate was recorded in Austria, France, Hungary and Slovenia. Luxembourg was the only country where the number of suicides was lower compared to 2007. In 2008, we can notice a slight decrease in the unemployment rate compared to 2007 and an increase in suicide by 3% in both groups of countries, followed by increasing suicide only in the post-2004 EU, where reach 10% in 2010, followed by a slight decrease in the coming years, while the unemployment rate gradually increases to 46% compared with 2007.

Conclusions

In European Union countries, suicides have increased both before and during the crisis, in periods in which unemployment rose. States that joined the EU after 2004 are more vulnerable in times of crisis.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.