Could Suicide be a Marker of Economic Distress?

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com the circumstance is an economic crisis [1]. The last economic crisis of 2007-8 has spurred interest in understanding purported health effects of an economic crisis. A group under the auspices of Ralph Catalano warns that although undesirable job and financial experiences increase the risk of psychological and behavioural disorders, many other suspected associations as cardiovascular disease, depression and suicide remain poorly studied or unsupported [2]. While WHO firmly discourages the practice of straight data comparisons between countries, nobody actually seems to care [1]. Level of economic crisis and rates of suicide may interact during a crisis, but empirical studies vary widely. One reason might be the insufficient clarity in defining them. This study argues that a hypothesis of increased suicide rates during an economic crisis is untoward.