Recession hit hardest in North America and Europe with more than 10,000 suicides reported across the two continents from 2007 onwards, a new study finds.
Research team the University of Oxford analyzed the suicide data of 24 European Union countries and 2 North American nations. The information was collected from the World Health Organisation. Researchers said the economic crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010 saw men being mostly affected by it.
Researchers found that by 2009 the suicide rates rose by 6.5 percent and remained at this higher level right through to 2011. America witnessed a 5 percent increase in the suicide rates between 2007 and 2010 and in Canada they rose by 4.5 percent during the same period.
According to the researchers, at least 10,000 additional suicides happened due to the economic crisis. But they call these figure as a 'conservative' estimate. The team said the primary reasons for suicides were loss of a job, home repossession and debt.
The team noted 'marked' differences in suicide rates in different countries affected by the same economic crisis. They said this suggests that suicides during a recession are 'avoidable.'
"There has been a substantial rise in suicides during the recession, greater than we would have anticipated based on previous trends. A critical question for policy and psychiatric practice is whether suicide rises are inevitable," said lead study author, Dr Aaron Reeves in a press release. "This study shows that rising suicides have not been observed everywhere, so while recessions will continue to hurt, they don't always cause self-harm," he said.
According to the researchers, a 'range of interventions' may reduce the risk of suicide during future economic crisis, including more return to work programs. They also stressed that suicides were 'just the tip of the iceberg'.
"These data reveal a looming mental health crisis in Europe and North America. In these hard economic times, this research suggests it is critical to look for ways of protecting those who are likely to be hardest hit," researchers said.
The research was published in the 'British Journal of Psychiatry'.
