Allison Milner1, Andrew Page, Anthony D LaMontagne. 1. The McCaughey Centre, VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health & Community Wellbeing, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. allison.milner@unimelb.edu.au
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The relationship between unemployment and suicide may be sensitive to demographic factors, national unemployment rates, and length of time without employment. This study investigated these factors in relation to suicide in Australia for the period 1985-2006, in an ecological study. METHODS: The outcome variable was annual suicide rate by age group, sex and the eight states and territories over 22 years of observation (total observations=1760). The main predictor variable was the average duration of unemployment in the population, categorised into three time periods (<2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, >4 weeks). Poisson regression models were used to investigate the relationship between duration of unemployment and suicide over the years 1985-2006 in a series of cross-sectional analyses. Interaction analyses indicated significant differences during periods of declining or increasing labour market opportunity and by age group. RESULTS: During periods of declining unemployment rates in the country, longer durations of unemployment were associated with higher male suicide rates. During periods of increasing unemployment in the country, longer unemployment duration was associated with lower male suicide rates. Effect modification was also apparent by age-group, with stronger associations between unemployment duration and male suicide evident in those aged 25-34 and 55-64, and weaker associations in those aged 15-24 and 44-54 years. Longer length of unemployment was not associated with an increase in female suicide rates. CONCLUSIONS: The labour market opportunities in Australia modified the effect of duration of unemployment on suicide, and the effect was more prominent in men and older age groups. This may reflect social norms and acceptability about unemployment, as well as life-stage influences associated with transitions into and out of the labour market.
BACKGROUND: The relationship between unemployment and suicide may be sensitive to demographic factors, national unemployment rates, and length of time without employment. This study investigated these factors in relation to suicide in Australia for the period 1985-2006, in an ecological study. METHODS: The outcome variable was annual suicide rate by age group, sex and the eight states and territories over 22 years of observation (total observations=1760). The main predictor variable was the average duration of unemployment in the population, categorised into three time periods (<2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, >4 weeks). Poisson regression models were used to investigate the relationship between duration of unemployment and suicide over the years 1985-2006 in a series of cross-sectional analyses. Interaction analyses indicated significant differences during periods of declining or increasing labour market opportunity and by age group. RESULTS: During periods of declining unemployment rates in the country, longer durations of unemployment were associated with higher male suicide rates. During periods of increasing unemployment in the country, longer unemployment duration was associated with lower male suicide rates. Effect modification was also apparent by age-group, with stronger associations between unemployment duration and male suicide evident in those aged 25-34 and 55-64, and weaker associations in those aged 15-24 and 44-54 years. Longer length of unemployment was not associated with an increase in female suicide rates. CONCLUSIONS: The labour market opportunities in Australia modified the effect of duration of unemployment on suicide, and the effect was more prominent in men and older age groups. This may reflect social norms and acceptability about unemployment, as well as life-stage influences associated with transitions into and out of the labour market.
Authors: Andrew Page; Stephen Morrell; Coletta Hobbs; Greg Carter; Michael Dudley; Johan Duflou; Richard Taylor Journal: BMC Psychiatry Date: 2014-03-06 Impact factor: 3.630
Authors: Konstantinos N Fountoulakis; Isaia Chatzikosta; Konstantinos Pastiadis; Prodromos Zanis; Wolfram Kawohl; Ad J F M Kerkhof; Alvydas Navickas; Cyril Höschl; Dusica Lecic-Tosevski; Eliot Sorel; Elmars Rancans; Eva Palova; Georg Juckel; Goran Isacsson; Helena Korosec Jagodic; Ileana Botezat-Antonescu; Janusz Rybakowski; Jean Michel Azorin; John Cookson; John Waddington; Peter Pregelj; Koen Demyttenaere; Luchezar G Hranov; Lidija Injac Stevovic; Lucas Pezawas; Marc Adida; Maria Luisa Figuera; Miro Jakovljević; Monica Vichi; Giulio Perugi; Ole A Andreassen; Olivera Vukovic; Paraskevi Mavrogiorgou; Peeter Varnik; Peter Dome; Petr Winkler; Raimo K R Salokangas; Tiina From; Vita Danileviciute; Xenia Gonda; Zoltan Rihmer; Jonas Forsman; Anne Grady; Thomas Hyphantis; Ingrid Dieset; Susan Soendergaard; Maurizio Pompili; Per Bech Journal: Ann Gen Psychiatry Date: 2016-08-09 Impact factor: 3.455