Global Recession Has 'Led to 10,000 Suicides'

U.K. researchers report that the economic crisis in Europe and North America has contributed to the suicides of more than 10,000 people.

The suicides, studied by the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, were in addition to the rate of suicide observed in 24 EU countries, the U.S. and Canada before the recession.

The BBC reports:

It said suicides had been declining in Europe until 2007. By 2009 there was a 6.5% increase, a level that was sustained until 2011.

It was the equivalent of 7,950 more suicides than would have been expected if previous trends continued, the research group said.

… [Dr Aaron Reeves of the University of Oxford] told the BBC: “There’s a lot of good evidence showing recessions lead to rising suicides, but what is surprising is this hasn’t happened everywhere – Austria, Sweden and Finland.

“It shows policy potentially matters. One of the features of these countries is they invest in schemes that help people return to work, such as training, advice and even subsidised wages.