Health effects of financial crisis: omens of a Greek tragedy.

www.thelancet.com Vol 378 October 22, 2011 1457 Submissions should be made via our electronic submission system at http://ees.elsevier.com/ thelancet/ with 2009, and of 8% in the fi rst half of 2011 compared with the same period of 2010. Major private health providers, although comprising a smaller proportion of care delivery than public providers, were also hit by pressure on personal budgets and registered losses after the onset of the crisis. A 2010 study reported a 25–30% decline in admissions to private hospitals. There are signs that health outcomes have worsened, especially in vulnerable groups. We noted a signifi cant rise in the prevalence of people reporting that their health was “bad” or “very bad” (1·14, 1·02–1·28; fi gure). Suicides rose by 17% in 2009 from 2007 and unoffi cial 2010 data quoted in parliament mention a 25% rise compared with 2009. The Minister of Health reported a 40% rise in the fi rst half of 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. The national suicide helpline reported that 25% of callers faced fi nancial diffi culties in 2010 and reports in the media indicate that the inability to repay high levels of personal debt might be a key factor in the increase in suicides. Violence has also risen, and homicide and theft rates nearly Health eff ects of fi nancial crisis: omens of a Greek tragedy