During Recession, Suicide Rate Is Up

Suicides in the United States ebb and flow with the economy, rising in bad times and falling in good, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

Their study, published online in the American Journal of Public Health, is the first to look at suicide trends by age and business cycles, and it found that working Americans -- people aged 25 to 64 -- are significantly more prone to suicide in tough economic times.

Researchers looked at the impact of business cycles on U.S. suicide rates from 1928 through 2007. They found a general correlation among suicide rates and major shifts in the U.S. economy.

For example, suicides famously spiked during the Great Depression, surging to a record high of 22 suicides per 100,000 people in 1932, up from 18 per 100,000 in 1928.

But other slowdowns also saw an increase in suicides, including the end of the New Deal (1937-1938), the Oil Crisis (1973-1975), and the Double-Dip Recession (1980-1982.)

And suicide rates tended to fall during periods of plenty, such as during World War Two and the decade-long expansion from 1991 to 2001, in which the economy flourished and there were low rates of unemployment.

"Knowing suicides increased during economic recessions and fell during expansions underscores the need for additional suicide prevention measures when the economy weakens," James Mercy, acting director of CDC's Injury Center's Division of Violence Prevention, said in a statement.

"It is an important finding for policy makers and those working to prevent suicide."

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Peanut Santiago]

03:40 AM on 04/19/2011

"During Recession, Suicide Rate Is Up"

Yup, we need a special government study to figure that out.

Rather than the government spend money, why not use common sense?

Why bother saying anything. It is like whistling into the wind.

[IfIonlyknew]

04:28 PM on 04/18/2011

That's like doing a study to see at what temp.water boils.

[Greg Uchrin]

01:38 PM on 04/18/2011

Well, Duh!

[SF TKF]

10:14 AM on 04/18/2011

Did anyone actually need a study to tell them this?

[bccmeteorites]

05:31 AM on 04/19/2011

Academics need work.

[Cougar31]

09:01 PM on 04/17/2011

Sad. Blame Frank

[1oldhippie]

04:47 PM on 04/17/2011

There is a difference in this 'downturn'. The last time the market crashed it was brokers who were 'jumping'. This time its mom and pop.

[Peanut Santiago]

03:43 AM on 04/19/2011

The people who SUFFER are the ones who get suicidal.

THIS time, the brokers and bankers made out like bandits. Why should they get suicidal?

Oh, yea, the brokers and bankers were "yelled" at. Their feelings were hurt. But they got to keep lots of nice money to help them feel better.

[klbrz]

03:55 PM on 04/17/2011

This isn't really surprising. And, the sad part is that during the downturns is when you are least likely to get help for this. Mental health is one of the first things to get cut in any budget when things get tight.

[nothingchanges]

10:23 AM on 04/17/2011

The lack of comments on this post illustrates the extent of the problem.

Lost your job? Lost your health care insurance? Lost your house? Lost your family?

Who cares?

Raise taxes to balance the budget? 10,0000 comments.

Welcome to America post 2008

[17ladyslippers]

01:21 PM on 04/18/2011

If the Wall Streeter's were jumping like in the Depression it would be front page news.

[cinfullydem]

06:28 PM on 04/18/2011

Thanks nothingchanges for a bit of intellegent compassion. How refreshing.

[fortressfountain]

09:09 AM on 04/17/2011

I think a lot of people may be listening to the media who blames the people for the financial problems. It is not the people's fault but the politicans and wall street.
I would never kill myself-spend all day looking for hand-outs. Make the politicans and wall street pay.

[ponderingmuch]

05:16 AM on 04/17/2011

I really, really do not like it when anybody checks out via suicide.

That said, with so little help for people in despair and with no money...it makes sense that people are increasingly checking out that way.

I hope that somebody does produce a paper clarifying the link between the disparity of the huge salaries and bonuses for bankers and Wall Street and lobbyists and regular working folks who are now unemployed.

[cinfullydem]

06:34 PM on 04/18/2011

I don't mean to insult but to what end? No one cares. At least not anyone in power positions. I was having "unfortunate issues" and the HR where I used to work not only didn't help but curtailed a rally of support by some co workers. It's not cool to care. Why I don't work there anymore. I'm just not cool. So extrapolate this to our "leaders" in power. Who got a bailout? And from the man I voted for. Hunker down kids. It's obvious no one wants change after all.

[ChezMJ]

12:17 AM on 04/17/2011

Uh...we needed a study to figure this out?

[Estebando]

12:15 AM on 04/17/2011

(sarcasm) Oh.. there's another important social program we can cut funds from... add that to the Ryan plan... (/sarcasm)

[MSROADKILL612]

11:47 PM on 04/16/2011

Which is why white collar criminals are just as much murderers as shooters.

[gmb007]

09:57 PM on 04/16/2011

Bitterly ironic that the Chinese kill themselves because of horrid overwork and Americans kill themselves because of too few jobs.

[Scruffyboo2]

07:10 PM on 04/16/2011

There's really nothing new here since numerous studies have shown the correlation between economic hard times and suicide. What is worth a thought though are the Republicans strutting around the landscape pontificating as the "pro-life" party when, for over a hundred years, everytime they've seized power and flushed the economy down the drain, remaining steadfast in their economic nostrums, the suicide rate skyrockets. They are a strange bunch and, I believe, a threat to national security.