Research from the University of Porstmouth and Webster Vienna University indicates that austerity is related to suicide attempts among Eurozone citizens. The research, led by Dr Nikolaos Antonakakis and Professor Alan Collins is the first attempt to directly asses the impact of fiscal austerity on suicide rates in the group of countries most affected by the Eurozone crisis – Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
According to the researchers, the rate of GDP growth percentages are similar to those showing the increase of suicides. One per cent fall in growth rate of GDP in the Eurozone’s periphery countries corresponds to a 0.9 per cent increase in suicide rates across all ages. In absolute numbers this equates to over 6000 suicides in total over the period 2011-12.
The research directly links these increased rates to spending cuts, tax hikes, privatisation of publicly owned assets and structural reforms.
“Youth unemployment has deteriorated significantly in the Eurozone periphery, which has led to this drastic rise in suicide mortality“ said Dr Antonakakis in a press release adding that “The austerity policies that many governments adopted made the recession far deeper and longer than necessary and they’ve left long-lasting consequences for wealth and health.”
Women aged 25-44 have also committed suicide in higher numbers since austerity measures were first introduced, though not in such high numbers and while most men commit suicide as a reaction to unemployment, in women, suicide is more often as a result of divorce, the press release notes.
The paper is published in the journal Social Science and Medicine