Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Mar 25;5(3):e007295.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007295.

What has happened to suicides during the Greek economic crisis? Findings from an ecological study of suicides and their determinants (2003-2012)

George Rachiotis  1 , David Stuckler  2 , Martin McKee  3 , Christos Hadjichristodoulou  1
Affiliations

What has happened to suicides during the Greek economic crisis? Findings from an ecological study of suicides and their determinants (2003-2012)

George Rachiotis et al. BMJ Open. .

Erratum in

  • Correction.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] BMJ Open. 2017 Mar 10;7(3):e007295corr1. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007295corr1. BMJ Open. 2017. PMID: 28283494 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

Objectives: There is a controversy about the impact of economic crisis on suicide rates in Greece. We analysed recent suicide data to identify who has been most affected and the relationships to economic and labour market indicators.

Setting: Greece.

Primary and secondary outcome measures: Age-specific and sex-specific suicide rates in Greece for the period 2003-2012 were calculated using data provided by the Hellenic Statistical Authority. We performed a join-point analysis to identify discontinuities in suicide trends between 2003 and 2010, prior to austerity, and in 2011-2012, during the period of austerity. Regression models were used to assess relationships between unemployment, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and suicide rates for the entire period by age and sex.

Results: The mean suicide rate overall rose by 35% between 2010 and 2012, from 3.37 to 4.56/100,000 population. The suicide mortality rate for men increased from 5.75 (2003-2010) to 7.43/100,000 (2011-2012; p<0.01). Among women, the suicide rate also rose, albeit less markedly, from 1.17 to 1.55 (p=0.03). When differentiated by age group, suicide mortality increased among both sexes in the age groups 20-59 and >60 years. We found that each additional percentage point of unemployment was associated with a 0.19/100,000 population rise in suicides (95% CI 0.11 to 0.26) among working age men.

Conclusions: We found a clear increase in suicides among persons of working age, coinciding with austerity measures. These findings corroborate concerns that increased suicide risk in Greece is a health hazard associated with austerity measures.

Keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; Greece; austerity; suicides.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Suicide rates by sex and age group in Greece (2003–2012).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Suicide rate and unemployment among men aged 15–64 years in Greece (2003–2012).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Rauch B, Göttsche M, Brähler G et al. Fact and fiction in EU-governmental economic data. German Econ Rev 2011;12:243–55. 10.1111/j.1468-0475.2011.00542.x - DOI
    1. Hope K. Grim effects of austerity show on Greek streets. Financial Times 17 February 2012.
    1. Henley J. Greece on the breadline: how leftovers became a meal. Guardian 14 March 2012.
    1. Kentikelenis A, Karanikolos M, Papanicolas I et al. Health effects of financial crisis: omens of a Greek tragedy. Lancet 2011;378:1457–8. 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61556-0 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Economou M, Madianos M, Theleritis C et al. Increased suicidality amid economic crisis in Greece. Lancet 2011;378:1459 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61638-3 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources