Suicide as an indicator of psychosocial distress: the outcomes of the 2008 global economic crisis

The article reviews researches on the connection between 2008 global financial economic crisis and levels of suicide. The causal relationship and ‘dose-response’ effect between unemployment and growth of suicide is stated: on average from 2008 to 2009 unemployment level grew 37% and GDP fell 3%. Unemployment level growth varied between 17% and 35% in European countries, from 94% and 101% in North America countries, from 40% to 45% in Central America, from 20% to 27% in East Asia. Risk group comprised males among whom suicide growth rate found in 27 European countries (4,2% average) and 18 American countries (6,4% average). For females this index has not changed. So researches on 2008 financial and economic crisis confirmed experience of previous crises according to which young males of able-bodied age are highly subject to suicide risk during times of economic recession. The presented data indicates that suicidogenic effect of economic crisis can be mitigated through protectionist policy in labor market in the form of state employment programme and strengthening of social support of least protected population strata. The review also draws attention to the fact that global financial and economic crisis almost had no effect on the suicide levels in Slavic republics of the former USSR. We suggest that it can be explained through relative autonomy of financial and economic systems of these countries.