William C Kerr1, Mark S Kaplan2, Nathalie Huguet3, Raul Caetano4, Norman Giesbrecht5, Bentson H McFarland6. 1. Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Emeryville, California. Electronic address: wkerr@arg.org. 2. Department of Social Welfare, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Los Angeles, California. 3. Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon. 4. Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Oakland, California. 5. Social and Epidemiological Research Department, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 6. Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Suicide rates and the proportion of alcohol-involved suicides rose during the 2008-2009 recession. Associations between county-level poverty, foreclosures, and unemployment and suicide rates and proportion of alcohol-involved suicides were investigated. METHODS: In 2015, National Violent Death Reporting System data from 16 states in 2005-2011 were utilized to calculate suicide rates and a measure of alcohol involvement in suicides at the county level. Panel models with year and state fixed effects included county-level measures of unemployment, foreclosure, and poverty rates. RESULTS: Poverty rates were strongly associated with suicide rates for both genders and all age groups, were positively associated with alcohol involvement in suicides for men aged 45-64 years, and negatively associated for men aged 20-44 years. Foreclosure rates were negatively associated with suicide rates for women and those aged ≥65 years but positively related for those aged 45-64 years. Unemployment rate effects on suicide rates were mediated by poverty rates in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Population risk of suicide was most clearly associated with county-level poverty rates, indicating that programs addressing area poverty should be targeted for reducing suicide risk. Poverty rates were also associated with increased alcohol involvement for men aged 45-64 years, indicating a role for alcohol in suicide for this working-aged group. However, negative associations between economic indicators and alcohol involvement were found for four groups, suggesting that non-economic factors or more general economic effects not captured by these indicators may have played a larger role in alcohol-related suicide increases.
INTRODUCTION: Suicide rates and the proportion of alcohol-involved suicides rose during the 2008-2009 recession. Associations between county-level poverty, foreclosures, and unemployment and suicide rates and proportion of alcohol-involved suicides were investigated. METHODS: In 2015, National Violent Death Reporting System data from 16 states in 2005-2011 were utilized to calculate suicide rates and a measure of alcohol involvement in suicides at the county level. Panel models with year and state fixed effects included county-level measures of unemployment, foreclosure, and poverty rates. RESULTS: Poverty rates were strongly associated with suicide rates for both genders and all age groups, were positively associated with alcohol involvement in suicides for men aged 45-64 years, and negatively associated for men aged 20-44 years. Foreclosure rates were negatively associated with suicide rates for women and those aged ≥65 years but positively related for those aged 45-64 years. Unemployment rate effects on suicide rates were mediated by poverty rates in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Population risk of suicide was most clearly associated with county-level poverty rates, indicating that programs addressing area poverty should be targeted for reducing suicide risk. Poverty rates were also associated with increased alcohol involvement for men aged 45-64 years, indicating a role for alcohol in suicide for this working-aged group. However, negative associations between economic indicators and alcohol involvement were found for four groups, suggesting that non-economic factors or more general economic effects not captured by these indicators may have played a larger role in alcohol-related suicide increases.
Authors: Raul Caetano; Mark S Kaplan; Nathalie Huguet; Bentson H McFarland; Kenneth Conner; Norman Giesbrecht; Kurt B Nolte Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2013-02-05 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Mark S Kaplan; Bentson H McFarland; Nathalie Huguet; Kenneth Conner; Raul Caetano; Norman Giesbrecht; Kurt B Nolte Journal: Inj Prev Date: 2012-05-24 Impact factor: 2.399
Authors: Kenneth R Conner; Nathalie Huguet; Raul Caetano; Norman Giesbrecht; Bentson H McFarland; Kurt B Nolte; Mark S Kaplan Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2013-05-16 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Mark S Kaplan; Raul Caetano; Norman Giesbrecht; Nathalie Huguet; William C Kerr; Bentson H McFarland; Kurt B Nolte Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2017-03-24 Impact factor: 5.043
Authors: Mark S Kaplan; William C Kerr; Bentson H McFarland; Kara Bensley; Raul Caetano; Norman Giesbrecht; Shannon M Monnat; Kurt B Nolte Journal: J Stud Alcohol Drugs Date: 2020-09 Impact factor: 2.582