A new CDC study published in the American Journal of Public Health demonstrates the correlation between suicide and periods of economic downturn. The study shows, as one would expect, that more people commit suicide when the economy falls and less people do so when the economy rises. After looking at various economic cycles between the years of 1928 and 2007, researchers noted this trend during the most significant economic periods listed below. The link between the two is most pronounced among people between the ages of 25 and 64 – individuals of prime working ages.
According to the report:
During periods of economic crisis the overall suicide rate rose, examples include:
- 1929-1933 – the Great Depression
- 1937-1938 – the end of the New Deal
- 1973-1975 – the Oil Crisis
- 1980-1982 – The Double-Dip Recession
During periods when the economy did well the overall suicide rate dropped, examples include:
- 1939-1945 – World War II
- 1991-2001 – The longest period of economic expansion and low unemployment
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