title: Socioeconomic factors and suicide: an analysis of 18 industrialized countries for the years 1983 through 2007.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between socioeconomic factors and suicide rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of time series of suicide rates, gross domestic product, unemployment rates, labor force participation, and divorce rates of 18 countries are analyzed by the application of panel-vector error correction models. Main outcome measures are the association between the socioeconomic factors and suicide rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decreasing economic growth and increasing divorce rates are significantly associated with increasing suicide rates in men. For women, increasing economic growth, increasing unemployment, and increasing divorce rates are significantly associated with increasing suicides. Increasing female labor force participation is associated with decreasing suicides.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socioeconomic factors are associated with suicide rates. However, this relationship differs by sex. The current results provide a strong argument that suicide prevention strategies must include the monitoring of socioeconomic development.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Working and Organisational Psychology, UMIT -University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Linz, Austria. alfred.barth@umit.at
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: Leopold
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sögner
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gnambs
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kundi
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reiner
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Winker
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019049:Developed Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004243:Divorce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057217:Economic Development / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data