The economic crisis and suicide
BMJ 2009; 338 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b1891 (Published 15 May 2009) Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1891
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I don't wish to detract from the harms to health experienced by those
who become unemployed. However, for the population as a whole, mortality
tends to rise in booms and fall in downturns (Gerdtham UG, Ruhm CJ. Deaths
rise in good economic times: Evidence from the OECD. Economics & Human
Biology 2006 Dec;4(3):298-316). Connections between the pace of production
and health are complex.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Concerns about the current economic crisis and suicide are evocative of a
haunting film called “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" in which a dispirited
contestant in a Depression-era dance marathon commits suicide, after learning
that the marathon is a cruel hoax, and that the winner receives no prize
money. As the specter of a looming worldwide depression, the current
economic crisis is an important reminder that poverty is ubiquitous and ruins
many lives. For too many people, life is a compulsory lottery with great
advertising but no prizes.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Lost Opportunity for Suicide Prevention
Gunnell and colleagues argue cogently that suicide mortality will
predictably rise during this period of economic stress. Although the
authors acknowledge their proposed remedies are unproven, they also appear
expensive and inefficient. Surprisingly, the authors fail to address
means restriction, or limiting access to highly lethal means of self-harm.
In the United States, access to firearms is directly related to risk of
suicide (1). Although hanging is a common and highly lethal method of
suicide to which access cannot be restricted, common methods among young
adults in the U.K. remain jumping, poisoning, and use of moving vehicles,
access to all of which can be reduced (2). While Gunnell and colleagues'
general advice is attractive, far more evidence supports efforts to erect
barriers at railroad and roadway suicide hotspots, bridges, and accessible
high buildings and to implement purchase limits of potentially toxic
pharmaceuticals. Such efforts should be preeminent in any suicide
prevention programme.
1. Miller M, Hemenway D. Guns and suicide in the United States. N
Engl J Med. 2008 Sep 4;359(10):989-91.
2. Värnik A, Kõlves K, Allik J, Arensman E, Aromaa E, van Audenhove C,
Bouleau JH, van der Feltz-Cornelis CM, Giupponi G, Gusmão R, Kopp M,
Marusic A, Maxwell M, Oskarsson H, Palmer A, Pull C, Realo A, Reisch T,
Schmidtke A, Pérez Sola V, Wittenburg L, Hegerl U. Gender issues in
suicide rates, trends and methods among youths aged 15-24 in 15 European
countries. J Affect Disord. 2009 Mar;113(3):216-26.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests