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Suicides rise and fall with economy: CDC report

An auction sign for a property is seen at the front garden of a foreclosed house in Miami Gardens, Florida in this September 15, 2009 file photo. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files

An auction sign for a property is seen at the front garden of a foreclosed house in Miami Gardens, Florida in this September 15, 2009 file photo.

Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria/Files

CHICAGO | Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:17pm EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - 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)
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Comments (5)
lordkid wrote:
People, killing yourself or someone else is not the answer. GOD said; we will go through trials and tribulations, but death, nor self mutilation is the not the answer for dealing with your troubles. GOD is the answer. He said for you to cast all of your cares upon him, for He cares for you. Remember, he know what you are going to go through before you do. All he want you to do is turn to him, trust him, and be patience, and let him work out your problems, not you, you will only make it worse. He always have the right and best solution to your problems. Suicide is not the answer.

Apr 14, 2011 1:19pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
Transaction7 wrote:
This is hardly new information. Mathematical correlation and apparent causation between unemployment rates and suicide rates have been demonstrated for years. It’s a basic cause of the perception of helplessness and hopelessness long associated with suicide. I have put several couples, who had nothing but their mortgaged homes and cars, or nothing at all left, subject to seizure to satisfy creditors, through bankruptcy to get them, including their children, protection from collection abuses that had driven one or more family members to attempt suicide, which protection we could not get elsewhere in the financial or legal system, even here in Teas which has always had strong debtor protections alongside and supporting its entrepreneurial culture. There are other variables, and suicide prevention mesures, that should also be studied. Suicide is typically the result of cognitive distortions, including the idea that things cannot get better, and te wrong answer, and I support study and efforts to prevent it.

Apr 15, 2011 11:32pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
Transaction7 wrote:
This is hardly new information. Mathematical correlation and apparent causation between unemployment rates and suicide rates have been demonstrated for years. It’s a basic cause of the perception of helplessness and hopelessness long associated with suicide. I have put several couples, who had nothing but their mortgaged homes and cars, or nothing at all left, subject to seizure to satisfy creditors, through bankruptcy to get them, including their children, protection from collection abuses that had driven one or more family members to attempt suicide, which protection we could not get elsewhere in the financial or legal system, even here in Teas which has always had strong debtor protections alongside and supporting its entrepreneurial culture. There are other variables, and suicide prevention mesures, that should also be studied. Suicide is typically the result of cognitive distortions, including the idea that things cannot get better, and te wrong answer, and I support study and efforts to prevent it.

Apr 15, 2011 11:32pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
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