Analysis of the impact of socio-economic factors on the number of suicide cases in European countries

Aleksandra Katarzyna Duchalska

doi:https://doi.org/10.59139/ps.2023.03.2

Aleksandra Katarzyna Duchalska Krakow University of Economics, College of Economics, Finance, and Law, Institute of Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences, ul. Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Kraków, Poland ORCID:https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2850-3285 Przegląd Statystyczny. Statistical Review, vol. 70, 2023, 3, pages: 18-36 Published online: 29 March 2024 DOI https://doi.org/10.59139/ps.2023.03.2 Citation: Duchalska, A. K. (2023). Analysis of the impact of socio-economic factors on the number of suicide cases in European countries. Przegląd Statystyczny. Statistical Review, 70(3), 18–36. https://doi.org/10.59139/ps.2023.03.2.

655 Views 105 Downloads

ARTICLE

(English) PDF

ABSTRACT

Suicide rates in Europe have in the recent years reached a disturbingly high level, sparking frequent discussions on the topic of mental health and suicide prevention, which significantly affect not only individuals but also their environment. The aim of this paper was to analyse the impact of the socio-economic situation on suicide rates using panel data analysis. The study presents an overview of the related literature and the definitions of essential terms concerning suicide, as well as the socio-economic factors determining suicide rates. The parameters of a fixed effects model were estimated, interpreted and compared with the results of earlier research. The analysis of the selected dataset showed that GDP per capita and the Gini coefficient have a negative and statistically insignificant impact on suicide rates. On the other hand, the conducted research showed that high divorce and unemployment rates, risk of poverty, social exclusion and excessive alcohol consumption proved to be statistically significant, thus increasing suicide rates.

KEYWORDS

suicide, panel data analysis, socio-economic situation, fixed effects model

JEL

C33, I12, I14, I15

REFERENCES

Andrés, A. R. (2005). Income inequality, unemployment, and suicide: a panel data analysis of 15 European countries. Applied Economics, 37(4), 439–451. https://doi.org/10.1080/0003684042000295304.

Córdoba-Dona, J. A., San Sebastián, M., Escolar-Pujolar, A., Martínez-Faure, J. E., & Gustafsson, P. E. (2014). Economic crisis and suicidal behavior: the role of unemployment, sex and age in Andalusia, Southern Spain. International Journal for Equity in Health, 13(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-13-55.

Crawford, M. J. & Prince, M. (1999). Increasing rates of suicide in young men in England during the 1980s: the importance of social context. Social Science and Medicine, 49(10), 1419–1423. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00213-0.

Fountoulakis, K. N., Kawohl, W., Theodorakis, P. N., Kerkhof, A. J. F. M., Navickas, A., Höschl, C., Lecic-Tosevski, D., Sorel, E., Rancans, E., Palova, E., Juckel, G., Isacsson, G., Korosec Jagodic, H., Botezat-Antonescu, I., Warnke, I., Rybakowski, J., Azorin, J. M., Cookson, J., Waddington, J., Pregelj, P., Demyttenaere, K., Hranov, L. G., Injac Stevovic, L., Pezawas, L., Adida, M., Figuera, M. L., Pompili, M., Jakovljević, M., Vichi, M., Perugi, G., Andreassen, O., Vukovic, O., Mavrogiorgou, P., Varnik, P., Bech, P., Dome, P., Winkler, P., Salokangas, R. K. R., From, T., Danileviciute, V., Gonda, X., Rihmer, Z., Forsman Benhalima, J., Grady, A., Kloster Leadholm, A. K., Soendergaard, S., Nordt, C., & Lopez-Ibor, J. (2014). Relationship of suicide rates to economic variables in Europe: 2000–2011. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 205(6), 486–496. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.147454.

Gunnell, D. J., Peters, T. J., Kammerling, R. M., & J. Brooks (1995). Relation between parasuicide, suicide, psychiatric admissions, and socioeconomic deprivation. BMJ, 311(6999), 226–230. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.311.6999.226.

Inagaki, K. (2010). Income Inequality and the Suicide Rate in Japan: Evidence from Cointegration and La-Var. Journal of Applied Economics, 13(1), 113–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1514-0326(10)60006-2.

Kołodziej-Sarzyńska, M., Majewska, M., Juchnowicz, D., & Karakuła-Juchnowicz, H. (2019). Czynniki ryzyka samobójstwa w kontekście teorii integracji społecznej według Émile’a Durkheima. Psychiatria Polska, 53(4), 865–881. https://doi.org/10.12740/PP/92217.

Murali, V., & Oyebode, F. (2004). Poverty, social inequality and mental health. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10(3), 216–224. https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.10.3.216.

Pieszczachowicz, J. (Ed.). (1997). Psychiatria. Psychika. Psychologia. In Popularna encyklopedia powszechna (t. 14). Fogra.

Preti, A. (2003). Unemployment and suicide. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 57(8), 557–558. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.57.8.557.

Pużyński, S. (2007). Choroba psychiczna – problemy z definicją oraz miejscem w diagnostyce i regulacjach prawnych. Psychiatria Polska, 41(3), 299–308. https://www.psychiatriapolska.pl/pdf-154113-78667?filename=Choroba%20psychiczna%20_.pdf.

Raczkowska, M. (2017). Nierówności dochodowe w kontekście jakości życia w krajach Unii Europejskiej. Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu, (498), 273–283.

Rosa, K. (2012). (Nie)wiarygodność danych statystycznych dotyczących zachowań samobójczych. Perspektywa teoretyczna i praktyka społeczna. Przegląd Socjologiczny, 61(2), 265–290.

Woźniak, M. (2020). Zachowania suicydalne jako problem społeczny XXI wieku – charakterystyka zjawiska z uwzględnieniem przyczyn oraz metod zapobiegawczych. In N. Laurisz, Wyzwania i problemy społeczne początku XXI wieku (pp. 108–119). Fundacja Gospodarki i Administracji Publicznej.

Yin, H., Xu, L., Shao, Y., Li, L., & Wan, C. (2016). Relationship between suicide rate and economic growth and stock market in the People’s republic of China: 2004–2013. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, (12), 3119–3128. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S116148.