<p>Unemployment drives around one in five suicides every year, according to a new study that included data from 63 countries.<br /><br />For the first time, researchers from the University of Zurich's Psychiatric Hospital have been able to draw a larger picture for four regions in the world from 2000 to 2011.<br />"Every year, around one in five suicides is associated with unemployment," said first author Carlos Nordt.<br /><br />Every year, almost a million people die by suicide worldwide, researchers said.<br />In order to find out how many suicides are associated with unemployment, the researchers included data from 63 countries between 2000 and 2011 in their study.</p>.<p><br />The countries were divided into four regions: North and South America, northern and western Europe, southern and eastern Europe, and Non-Americas and non-Europe. No data was available from China or India.</p>.<p><br />"Despite country-specific particularities, we found a similarly strong association between unemployment and suicide rates in all four regions," said Nordt.</p>.<p><br />Moreover, a changing unemployment rate affected both sex as well as different age groups equally.</p>.<p><br />One in five suicides a year was associated with unemployment, researchers said.<br />"After the crisis year in 2008, the number of suicides increased short-term by 5,000 cases," said Nordt.</p>.<p><br />However, around 46,000 suicides overall were associated with unemployment that year.<br />"Therefore, suicides associated with unemployment totalled a nine-fold higher number of deaths than excess suicides attributed to the most recent economic crisis," said Nordt.</p>.<p><br />The impact of a change in unemployment on suicide was stronger in countries with a lower rather than with a higher pre-crisis unemployment rate.<br /><br />According to the researchers, investments in programs that integrate people in the job market and promote a healthy work climate are also essential in countries with comparably lower unemployment rates.<br /><br />The study also shows that the rise in the suicide rate preceded the unemployment rate by around six months.</p>.<p><br />The study was published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry.</p>
<p>Unemployment drives around one in five suicides every year, according to a new study that included data from 63 countries.<br /><br />For the first time, researchers from the University of Zurich's Psychiatric Hospital have been able to draw a larger picture for four regions in the world from 2000 to 2011.<br />"Every year, around one in five suicides is associated with unemployment," said first author Carlos Nordt.<br /><br />Every year, almost a million people die by suicide worldwide, researchers said.<br />In order to find out how many suicides are associated with unemployment, the researchers included data from 63 countries between 2000 and 2011 in their study.</p>.<p><br />The countries were divided into four regions: North and South America, northern and western Europe, southern and eastern Europe, and Non-Americas and non-Europe. No data was available from China or India.</p>.<p><br />"Despite country-specific particularities, we found a similarly strong association between unemployment and suicide rates in all four regions," said Nordt.</p>.<p><br />Moreover, a changing unemployment rate affected both sex as well as different age groups equally.</p>.<p><br />One in five suicides a year was associated with unemployment, researchers said.<br />"After the crisis year in 2008, the number of suicides increased short-term by 5,000 cases," said Nordt.</p>.<p><br />However, around 46,000 suicides overall were associated with unemployment that year.<br />"Therefore, suicides associated with unemployment totalled a nine-fold higher number of deaths than excess suicides attributed to the most recent economic crisis," said Nordt.</p>.<p><br />The impact of a change in unemployment on suicide was stronger in countries with a lower rather than with a higher pre-crisis unemployment rate.<br /><br />According to the researchers, investments in programs that integrate people in the job market and promote a healthy work climate are also essential in countries with comparably lower unemployment rates.<br /><br />The study also shows that the rise in the suicide rate preceded the unemployment rate by around six months.</p>.<p><br />The study was published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry.</p>