Impact of economic recession on suicide rates in Spain

Research authors: Martínez-Alés, Gimbrone, Rutherford, Keyes and López-Cuadrado

The effects of the economic recession in Spain are associated with an increase in suicide mortality among vulnerable populations

Although Spain has generally had one of the lowest suicide mortality rates in Europe, during the last decade there has been growing concern about its possible increase due to the consequences of the economic recession of 2008.

Although suicide mortality rates didn´t initially appear to have increased significantly, research conducted by Gonzalo Martinez Ales et al. reports an increase in suicide mortality after 2010 among socioeconomically vulnerable populations.

Using mortality data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) between the years 2000 and 2019, the researchers estimated the effects of age, period, and cohort on suicide mortality, differentiating between native and foreign-born individuals.

A total of 68549 deaths by suicide were registered in our country during the period under study. Despite the fact that the suicide rates of foreign-born persons during this decade were lower (6.2 per 100,000 people overall) compared to Spanish-born persons (9.2 per 100,000 people), after 2010 there was an increase in the suicide numbers among foreign-born persons, especially among non-naturalized persons.

They also found differences from 2010 onwards in the evolution of suicide mortality figures by gender and age. From this year onwards, there was an increase in the suicide figures among women and a stabilization in the suicide rate of adult men, with an increase only in this gender after the age of 65 years.Thus, it appears that the after effects of the economic recession (e.g. unemployment or lack of access to health coverage) had a strong impact on the most vulnerable population. These results highlight the importance of examining suicide rates among specific socio-demographic groups, as well as the relevance of protective measures aimed at the populations most affected by the effects of the economic crisis, which can lead to serious problems such as suicide.

Reference to original paper: Martínez-Alés G, Gimbrone C, Rutherford C, Keyes K and López-Cuadrado T (2022) Role of Foreign-Born Status on Suicide Mortality in Spain Between 2000 and 2019: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis. Int J Public Health 67:1604538. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604538