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Relationship of an economic

crisis and suicidality in Europe

and slovenia

in 2008 a global economic crisis to be random; instead some com-
affected europe. in our study we mon aetiology should have influ-
studied the possible impact of the enced the rates across the conti-
economic crisis on suicide rates nent. even in countries with more
in european countries. Data were or less stable rates, the specific
gathered from 29 european coun- nadir was evident.
tries (austria, Belgium, estonia, The nadir occurred more than a
Finland, France, germany, greece, year before the onset of the eco-
italy, ireland, netherlands, Portugal, nomic crisis and the subsequent
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Bulgaria, increase in suicide rates also oc-
croatia, czech Republic, Denmark, curred several months before the
hungary, latvia, lithuania, Poland, crisis. We concluded that the pro- movement of suicide rate in
Romania, Sweden, United King- dromal phase of the economic cri- slovenia, 2000 - 2012.
dom, Montenegro, norway, Serbia, sis influenced on suicidal behaviour
Switzerland). The main economic of european inhabitants.
indices were unemployment, gross
domestic product (gDP), national in eurozone countries the correla-
growth rate and inflation, tion with gDP per capita was the
dominant pattern. in the rest of
The following results were found: eU countries the correlation with

There was a nadir for suicide rates unemployment was also strong. in
across europe around the year countries outside the eU, the cor-
2007 (in Slovenia the nadir was in relation of suicide rates with eco-
2008) and subsequent increase of nomic variables (BDP, unemploy-
suicide rates after that. This syn- ment) was weak.
chronisation cannot be considered movement of suicide rate in
europe, 2000 - 2012.

Source: Br J Psychiatry. 2014 Dec;205(6):486-96. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.147454. Epub 2014 Oct 30.Relationship of suicide rates to economic variables in Europe:
2000-2011. Fountoulakis KN1, Kawohl W1, Theodorakis PN1, Kerkhof AJ1, Navickas A1, Höschl C1, Lecic-Tosevski D1, Sorel E1, Rancans E1, Palova E1, Juckel G1,
Isacsson G1, Jagodic HK1, Botezat-Antonescu I1, Warnke I1, Rybakowski J1, Azorin JM1, Cookson J1, Waddington J1, Pregelj P1, Demyttenaere K1, Hranov LG1,
Stevovic LI1, Pezawas L1, Adida M1, Figuera ML1, Pompili M1, Jakovljević M1, Vichi M1, Perugi G1, Andreassen O, Vukovic O1, Mavrogiorgou P1, Varnik P1, Bech P1,
Dome P1, Winkler P1, Salokangas RK1, From T1, Danileviciute V1, Gonda X1, Rihmer Z1, Benhalima JF1, Grady A1, Leadholm AK1, Soendergaard S1, Nordt C1, Lopez-
Ibor J1.