Exploring The Trends Of Economic Downturns On Suicide Rates Over The Course Of History
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/qkxt2742Keywords:
Psychosocial, Economic Recession, Knickerbocker Trust, Labour, Economics, Suicide RatesAbstract
This paper explores the trends of the suicide rates due to economic downturns over the course of history. The paper aims to explore the causes of suicide, how it affects the victims’ families, the change in suicide rates with every passing year and in different geographical areas and how society gets affected by it. This paper also aims to raise awareness on this lesser-acknowledged factor in society to prevent such happenings and their consequences. The crucial drivers of suicide and self-harm are the lack of economical and psychosocial support, along with the challenges faced by individuals to secure available jobs, like prejudice in society. This paper discusses the causes and cross-sectoral mitigation efforts to address these gaps, with the goal of building a healthy community and bringing global awareness.
Downloads
References
1.SUICIDE Definition & Meaning https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suicide
2.Systematic review of suicide in economic recession https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4473496/
3.Recession: When Bad Times Prevail https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/basics/recess.htm
4.Claessens, Stijn, M. Ayhan Kose, and Marco Terrones, 2009, “What Happens During Recessions, Crunches, and Busts?” Economic Policy, Vol. 60, pp. 653–700. https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/basics/recess.htm
5.Finance & Development, September 1999, Volume 36, Number 3, The Asian Financial Crisis: What Have We Learned by Timothy Lane https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/1999/09/lane.htm
6.Was the economic crisis 1997-1998 responsible for rising suicide rates in East/Southeast Asia? A time-trend analysis for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19200631/
7.Understanding the Fluctuations in Korea’s Suicide Rates: A Change-Point Analysis and Interrupted Time Series Analysis https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11004772/
8.Kwon, JW., Chun, H. & Cho, Si. A closer look at the increase in suicide rates in South Korea from 1986–2005. BMC Public Health 9, 72 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-9-72 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2458-9-72#citeas
9.FARM PRODUCT PRICES, REDISTRIBUTION, AND THE EARLY U.S. GREAT, Working Paper 28055, https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28055/w28055.pdf
10.Life and death during the Great Depression https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26871254_Life_and_death_during_the_Great_Depression
11.1907 Bankers' Panic and the birth of the FED https://www.km3am.com/post/1907-bankers-panic-and-the-birth-of-the-fed
12.Robert F. Bruner and Sean D. Carr, The Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned from the Market’s Perfect Storm (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2007), pp. ix–xiii, 65–70. https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/crises/1907.html
13.Federal Reserve History, The Panic Of 1907 https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/panic-of-1907
14.Stock market crash of 1929 https://www.britannica.com/event/stock-market-crash-of-1929
15.Stock Market Crash of 1929 https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/stock-market-crash-of-1929
16.According to official statistics, India is home to 20% of the world’s suicide deaths, yet the issue attracts limited national public health attention https://www.jmir.org/2019/1/e10179/
17.Suicide mortality in India: a nationally representative survey https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22726517/
18.Suicide mortality in India: a nationally representative survey https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22726517/
19.The effect of economic downturn, financial hardship, unemployment, and relevant government responses on suicide https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246826672400152X
20.DJ Roelfs, E Shor Financial stress, unemployment, and suicide: a meta-analysis https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246826672400152X#bib3
21.Great Recession https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession
22.David Lightman. Congressional Budget Office compares downturn to Great Depression Archived March 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. McClatchy Washington Bureau. January 27, 2009. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession#cite_note-24
23.Did the Great Recession increase suicides in the USA? Evidence from an interrupted time-series analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28625812/
24.Akyuz, M. and Karul, C. (2023), "The effect of economic factors on suicide: an analysis of a developing country", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 16 No. 5, pp. 473-482.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361739965_The_effect_of_economic_factors_on_suicide_An_analysis_of_a_developing_country
25.Akyuz, M. and Karul, C. (2023), "The effect of economic factors on suicide: an analysis of a developing country", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 16 No. 5, pp. 473-482.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361739965_The_effect_of_economic_factors_on_suicide_An_analysis_of_a_developing_country
26.Reeves A, Stuckler D, McKee M et al. Increase in state suicide rates in the USA during economic recession The Lancet, 2012; 380, 1813-1814.https://www.thelancet.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1016%2FS0140-6736%2812%2961910-2&pii=S0140-6736%2812%2961910-2
27.OP67 Increase in State Suicide Rates in the USA During Economic Recession.https://jech.bmj.com/content/67/Suppl_1/A32.2
28.Reeves A, Stuckler D, McKee M et al. Increase in state suicide rates in the USA during economic recession The Lancet, 2012; 380, 1813-1814 https://www.thelancet.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.1016%2FS0140-6736%2812%2961910-2&pii=S0140-6736%2812%2961910-2
29.Sharp Increase in US Suicides Blamed on Financial Crisis https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/773911?form=fpf
30.Sharp Increase in US Suicides Blamed on Financial Crisis https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/773911?form=fpf
31.Sharp Increase in US Suicides Blamed on Financial Crisis https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/773911?form=fpf
32.1997 Asian financial crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Asian_financial_crisis
33.Shu-Sen Chang, David Gunnell, Jonathan A.C. Sterne, Tsung-Hsueh Lu, Andrew T.A. Cheng, Was the economic crisis 1997–1998 responsible for rising suicide rates in East/Southeast Asia? A time–trend analysis for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand, Social Science & Medicine, Volume 68, Issue 7, 2009, Pages 1322-1331, ISSN 0277-9536 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953609000100
34.Shu-Sen Chang, David Gunnell, Jonathan A.C. Sterne, Tsung-Hsueh Lu, Andrew T.A. Cheng, Was the economic crisis 1997–1998 responsible for rising suicide rates in East/Southeast Asia? A time–trend analysis for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand, Social Science & Medicine, Volume 68, Issue 7, 2009, Pages 1322-1331, ISSN 0277-9536 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953609000100
35.Eurozone Debt Crisis: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions (2008–2012) https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/european-sovereign-debt-crisis.asp
36.Unemployment reached highest level on record in 2009 https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/unemployment-reached-highest-level-record-2009-somavia-calls-same-policy
37.Euro area crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate
38.Guerra O, Eboreime E. The Impact of Economic Recessions on Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma-Related Disorders and Illness Outcomes-A Scoping Review. Behav Sci (Basel). 2021 Aug 31;11(9):119. doi: 10.3390/bs11090119. PMID: 34562956; PMCID: PMC8464685. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3776046/
39.Seltzer N. Beyond the Great Recession: Labor Market Polarization and Ongoing Fertility Decline in the United States. Demography. 2019 Aug;56(4):1463-1493. doi: 10.1007/s13524-019-00790-6. PMID: 31214946; PMCID: PMC7197790 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7197790/
40.Chang S, Stuckler D, Yip P, Gunnell D. Impact of 2008 global economic crisis on suicide: time trend study in 54 countries BMJ 2013; 347 :f5239 doi:10.1136/bmj.f5239 https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5239
41.Vandoros, S., Avendano, M., & Kawachi, I. (2019). The association between economic uncertainty and suicide in the short-run. Soc Sci Med. 2019 Jan;220:403-410. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.035. Epub 2018 Nov 24. PMID: 30529798. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30529798/
42.Franke AG, Schmidt P, Neumann S. Association Between Unemployment and Mental Disorders: A Narrative Update of the Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Dec 19;21(12):1698. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21121698. PMID: 39767537; PMCID: PMC11727728. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11727728/
43.Alleviating Financial Strain to Reduce Suicide Risk https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/docs/From-Science-to-Practice-Financial-Strain-508.pdf
44.Fiksenbaum, L., Marjanovic, Z., Greenglass, E., & Garcia-Santos, F. (2017). Impact of economic hardship and financial threat on suicide ideation and confusion. The Journal of Psychology, 151(5), 477–495. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2017.1335686
45.Frasquilho, D., Matos, M. G., Salonna, F., Guerreiro, D., Storti, C. C., Gaspar, T., & Caldas-de-Almeida, J. M. (2016). Mental health outcomes in times of economic recession: A systematic literature review. BMC Public Health, 16, 115.https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/docs/From-Science-to-Practice-Financial-Strain-508. pdf#:~:text=6%20Perceived%20financial%20threat%2C%20defined,and%20increased%20depression%20and%20anxiety.
46.Crossman, Ashley. "Émile Durkheim: "Suicide: A Study in Sociology"." ThoughtCo, Jun. 7, 2024, https://www.thoughtco.com/study-of-suicide-by-emile-durkheim-3026758
47.Crossman, Ashley. "Émile Durkheim: "Suicide: A Study in Sociology"." ThoughtCo, Jun. 7, 2024.https://www.thoughtco.com/study-of-suicide-by-emile-durkheim-3026758
48.A silent killer. https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/publications/suicide-and-debt/
49.Houle JN, Light MT. The home foreclosure crisis and rising suicide rates, 2005 to 2010. Am J Public Health. 2014 Jun;104(6):1073-9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301774. Epub 2014 Apr 17. PMID: 24825209; PMCID: PMC4062039. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4062039/
50.Houle JN, Light MT. The home foreclosure crisis and rising suicide rates, 2005 to 2010. Am J Public Health. 2014 Jun;104(6):1073-9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301774. Epub 2014 Apr 17. PMID: 24825209; PMCID: PMC4062039.
51.Houle JN, Light MT. The home foreclosure crisis and rising suicide rates, 2005 to 2010. Am J Public Health. 2014 Jun;104(6):1073-9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301774. Epub 2014 Apr 17. PMID: 24825209; PMCID: PMC4062039. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4062039/
52.Houle JN, Light MT. The home foreclosure crisis and rising suicide rates, 2005 to 2010. Am J Public Health. 2014 Jun;104(6):1073-9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301774. Epub 2014 Apr 17. PMID: 24825209; PMCID: PMC4062039. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4062039/
53.India Has Highest Suicide Rate In Southeast Asian Region, Says Study https://www.newsclick.in/india-has-highest-suicide-rate-southeast-asian-region-says-study
54.Berkelmans G, van der Mei R, Bhulai S, Gilissen R. Identifying socio-demographic risk factors for suicide using data on an individual level. BMC Public Health. 2021 Sep 18;21(1):1702. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11743-3. PMID: 34537046; PMCID: PMC8449910. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8449910/
55.Berkelmans G, van der Mei R, Bhulai S, Gilissen R. Identifying socio-demographic risk factors for suicide using data on an individual level. BMC Public Health. 2021 Sep 18;21(1):1702. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-11743-3. PMID: 34537046; PMCID: PMC8449910. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8449910/
56.Suryakant Yadav, Aathavan K K, Solveig Argeseanu Cunningham, Pravat Bhandari, Udaya Shankar Mishra, Aditi Aditi, Ravita Yadav, Changing pattern of suicide deaths in India, The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia, Volume 16, 2023, 100265, ISSN 2772-3682, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772368223001257
57.Associations of Suicide Rates With Socioeconomic Status and Social Isolation: Findings From Longitudinal Register and Census Data.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338579236_Associations_of_Suicide_Rates_With_Socioeconomic_Status_and_Social_Isolation_Findings_From_Longitudinal_Register_and_Census_Data
58.Näher, Anatol-Fiete & Rummel-Kluge, Christine & Hegerl, Ulrich. (2020). Associations of Suicide Rates With Socioeconomic Status and Social Isolation: Findings From Longitudinal Register and Census Data. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00898.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338579236_Associations_of_Suicide_Rates_With_Socioeconomic_Status_and_Social_Isolation_Findings_From_Longitudinal_Register_and_Census_Data/citation/download
59.Recession https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/recession/
60.Chapter1. The economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2022/brief/chapter-1-introduction-the-economic-impacts-of-the-covid-19-crisis
61.Kirkbride JB, Anglin DM, Colman I, Dykxhoorn J, Jones PB, Patalay P, Pitman A, Soneson E, Steare T, Wright T, Griffiths SL. The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations. World Psychiatry. 2024 Feb;23(1):58-90. doi: 10.1002/wps.21160. PMID: 38214615; PMCID: PMC10786006. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10786006/
62.Great Depression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression
63.Great Depression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression
64.Great Depression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression
65.Great Depression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression
66.What Caused the Stock Market Crash of 1929—And What We Still Get Wrong About It https://time.com/5707876/1929-wall-street-crash/
67.Suicide in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_the_United_States
68.Great Recession https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession
69.Reeves A, Stuckler D, McKee M et al. Increase in state suicide rates in the USA during economic recession The Lancet, 2012; 380, 1813-1814.
70.Hyunsuk Jeong, Hyeon Woo Yim, Seung-Yup Lee, Misun Park, Woolim Ko, The effectiveness of a suicide prevention program in primary care clinics supported by community public health resources: A difference-in-differences analysis, Psychiatry Research, Volume 334, 2024, 115803, ISSN 0165-1781, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016517812400088X
71.Hyunsuk Jeong, Hyeon Woo Yim, Seung-Yup Lee, Misun Park, Woolim Ko, The effectiveness of a suicide prevention program in primary care clinics supported by community public health resources: A difference-in-differences analysis, Psychiatry Research, Volume 334, 2024, 115803, ISSN 0165-1781, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016517812400088X
72.Mann JJ, Michel CA, Auerbach RP. Improving Suicide Prevention Through Evidence-Based Strategies: A Systematic Review. Am J Psychiatry. 2021 Jul;178(7):611-624. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20060864. Epub 2021 Feb 18. PMID: 33596680; PMCID: PMC9092896. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9092896/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Teesta Chatterjee

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.



