The association between economic uncertainty and suicide in the short-run

Vandoros, Sotiris; Avendaño, Mauricio; Kawachi, Ichiro

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.035

Cited by 80 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 75 publications

(119 reference statements)

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“…32 Uncertainty, especially economic uncertainty is associated with stress-related disorders and suicide. 2,23,33,34 It has been shown that uncertainty is a more stressful state to be in than really knowing something bad will happen. 35 Uncertainty is associated with depression and anxiety.…”

Section: The Psychological Impact Of Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates

Sher

2020

QJM: An International Journal of Medicine

880

655

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Summary Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profound psychological and social effects. The psychological sequelae of the pandemic will probably persist for months and years to come. Studies indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with distress, anxiety, fear of contagion, depression and insomnia in the general population and among healthcare professionals. Social isolation, anxiety, fear of contagion, uncertainty, chronic stress and economic difficulties may lead to the development or exacerbation of depressive, anxiety, substance use and other psychiatric disorders in vulnerable populations including individuals with pre-existing psychiatric disorders and people who reside in high COVID-19 prevalence areas. Stress-related psychiatric conditions including mood and substance use disorders are associated with suicidal behavior. COVID-19 survivors may also be at elevated suicide risk. The COVID-19 crisis may increase suicide rates during and after the pandemic. Mental health consequences of the COVID-19 crisis including suicidal behavior are likely to be present for a long time and peak later than the actual pandemic. To reduce suicides during the COVID-19 crisis, it is imperative to decrease stress, anxiety, fears and loneliness in the general population. There should be traditional and social media campaigns to promote mental health and reduce distress. Active outreach is necessary, especially for people with a history of psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 survivors and older adults. Research studies are needed of how mental health consequences can be mitigated during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section: The Psychological Impact Of Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates

Sher

2020

QJM: An International Journal of Medicine

880

655

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Prior evidence suggests that the experience of large scale disasters is associated with increases in depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTD), and a broad range of other mental disorders [1,5,6]. In the context of Covid-19, these mental health implications may be amplified by factors such as increased uncertainty related to individual's own health because of the exposure to a new highly infectious disease [6][7][8], the profound economic consequences of the pandemic in the US and globally, the implementation of lockdown measures [9][10][11][12], resulting in the practice of prolonged social distancing [1,[13][14][15][16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[22] With its major shock to the global economy, the Covid-19 pandemic is sending a massive number of individuals to unemployment and economic instability, making these individuals particularly vulnerable and prone to mental health disorders. [10][11][12] Social distancing, which is a commonly implemented measure to reduce the spread of a virus, may also pose a mental health challenge for many people. Mass quarantine and shelter in place orders imposed throughout the US during the month of March to curtail the spread of Covid-19 have sent millions of individuals home in isolation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictors of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in the US: Role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing

et al. 2020

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Despite the profound health and economic implications of Covid-19, there is only limited knowledge to date about the role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing for mental health outcomes during the pandemic. We analyze online survey data from the nationally representative “Understanding America Study” (UAS) covering the period of March 10-31st 2020 (sample size: 6,585). Mental health is assessed by the validated PHQ-4 instrument for measuring symptoms of depression and anxiety. About 29% (CI:27.4-.30.4%) of the US adult population reported some depression/anxiety symptoms over the study period, with symptoms deteriorating over the month of March. Worsening mental health was most strongly associated with concerns about the economic consequences of the pandemic, while concerns about the potential implications of the virus for respondents’ own health and social distancing also predicted increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety during the early stages of the pandemic in the US, albeit less strongly. Our findings point towards the possibility of a major mental health crisis unfolding simultaneously with the pandemic, with economic concerns being a key driving force of this crisis. These results highlight the likely importance of economic countermeasures and social policy for mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on adult mental health in the US over and above an effective public health response.

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“…The specialty literature is poor in studies regarding the association between suicide by chemical substances and the level of education of the victims. However, we have come across studies concerning the association between suicide and the economic level of victims [12], respectively studies of the epidemiological parameters of suicidal victims by chemical substances [9]. Thus, the present study represents a new perspective on the understanding of the suicidal phenomenon through the use of chemical agents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

The Relation between Suicide by Chemical Substances and the Level of Education

Dumbrava¹,

Radu²,

Tabian³

et al. 2019

Rev. Chim.

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The study aimed to determine the influence of the levels of education among people that committed suicide by the use of chemical substances. Data were collected from 2 groups of subjects investigated at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, between January 2012 and December 2016. The first group consisted of 20 deceased persons that committed suicide by chemical substances and the second group consisted of 13 persons that attempted suicide by chemical substances. We investigated the following data: gender, age and type of toxic substance, level of education, field of study, existence of mental illness or other attempts. Age was statistically significantly higher in successful suicides versus suicides attempts. The rest of the variables did not differ statistically significantly between groups, although a higher percentage of subjects with psychiatric illness were observed in the completed suicides group. Also, a higher percentage of subjects who attempted to commit suicide with combination of alcohol and other chemical substances were observed, without achieving statistical significance. We also analyzed the differences within the group with completed suicide subjects from the point of view of their studies. Although we did not get a statistical significance because of the low number of subjects, there were a few associations that slightly exceeded the statistical significance threshold. Thus, those without higher education have used alcohol more frequently in combination with medication, and those with higher education have preferred medication alone. The obtained results may have implications for the targeted prevention of suicides by chemical substances.

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The association between economic uncertainty and suicide in the short-run

Cited by 80 publications

References 75 publications

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates

Predictors of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic in the US: Role of economic concerns, health worries and social distancing

The Relation between Suicide by Chemical Substances and the Level of Education

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