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Cited by 799Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesHomicide, Infanticide, and Child AbuseEmployment and Welfare Studies

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Impact of 2008 global economic crisis on suicide: time trend study in 54 countries.

Open access
Chang, S.-S., Stuckler, D., Yip, P., Gunnell, D.·2013·BMJ
DOI 10.1136/bmj.f5239PMC PMC3776046
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the 2008 global economic crisis on international trends in suicide and to identify sex/age groups and countries most affected. DESIGN: Time trend analysis comparing the actual number of suicides in 2009 with the number that would be expected based on trends before the crisis (2000-07). SETTING: Suicide data from 54 countries; for 53 data were available in the World Health Organization mortality database and for one (the United States) data came the CDC online database. POPULATION: People aged 15 or above. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Suicide rate and number of excess suicides in 2009. RESULTS: There were an estimated 4884 (95% confidence interval 3907 to 5860) excess suicides in 2009 compared with the number expected based on previous trends (2000-07). The increases in suicide mainly occurred in men in the 27 European and 18 American countries; the suicide rates were 4.2% (3.4% to 5.1%) and 6.4% (5.4% to 7.5%) higher, respectively, in 2009 than expected if earlier trends had continued. For women, there was no change in European countries and the increase in the Americas was smaller than in men (2.3%). Rises in European men were highest in those aged 15-24 (11.7%), while in American countries men aged 45-64 showed the largest increase (5.2%). Rises in national suicide rates in men seemed to be associated with the magnitude of increases in unemployment, particularly in countries with low levels of unemployment before the crisis (Spearman's rs=0.48). CONCLUSIONS: After the 2008 economic crisis, rates of suicide increased in the European and American countries studied, particularly in men and in countries with higher levels of job loss.

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Crossref · 10.1136/bmj.f5239

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Fig 1 Countries included in study (n=54). *Nineteen countries (Argentina, Aruba, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Kuwait, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname) had incomplete population data for study period in WHO mortality database; their population data were obtained from United Nations population database21
Fig 1 Countries included in study (n=54). *Nineteen countries (Argentina, Aruba, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Kuwait, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname) had incomplete population data for study period in WHO mortality database; their population data were obtained from United Nations population database21CC BY-NC · PubMed Central
Fig 2 Map of study countries and their suicide rates in 2009
Fig 2 Map of study countries and their suicide rates in 2009CC BY-NC · PubMed Central
Fig 3 Changes in unemployment rates and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 54 study countries
Fig 3 Changes in unemployment rates and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 54 study countriesCC BY-NC · PubMed Central
Fig 4 Changes in unemployment rates in nine different regions (number of countries included in region), 2000-10. Data weighted by countries’ population sizes in 2009. Unemployment data for two American countries (Aruba and Guatemala) were unavailable
Fig 4 Changes in unemployment rates in nine different regions (number of countries included in region), 2000-10. Data weighted by countries’ population sizes in 2009. Unemployment data for two American countries (Aruba and Guatemala) were unavailableCC BY-NC · PubMed Central

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [22]Brock A, Griffiths C. Trends in suicide by method in England and Wales, 1979-2001. Health Stat Q 2003; 20: 7-17.

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Metadata

Authors
Chang, S.-S., Stuckler, D., Yip, P., & Gunnell, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Bristol (GB)
  • Hong Kong Jockey Club (HK)
Corresponding author
Chang, S.-S.
ORCID
Venue
BMJ
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2013-09-17
Volume
347
Issue
sep17 1
Pages
f5239-f5239
ISSN
1756-1833 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1136/bmj.f5239
PMC
PMC3776046
OpenAlex
W2053391121
Cited by
799
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 83 · 2021: 94 · 2020: 85 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 51 · 2016: 104 · 2015: 66 · 2014: 77 · 2013: 7
FWCI
94.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • BMJ (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Explore Bristol Research (publishedVersion)
  • The HKU Scholars Hub (University of Hong Kong) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NF-SI-0512-10068)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Employment and Welfare Studies
Keywords
suicide, economic recession, excess mortality, unemployment, sex differences, age differences, suicide rates, Europe, Americas, job loss
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, 80 and over, Europe, Female, Humans, Inflation, Economic, Male, Regression Analysis, Social Conditions, Suicide, Unemployment, United States, Global Health, World Health Organization, Databases, Factual, Age Distribution, Sex Distribution

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