FACING UNEMPLOYMENT CAN KILL YOU!
Dr. PaytonI recently read about a study that improved on previous single country studies that showed that unemployment increases the suicide rate. This new study (Nordt C et al. Modeling suicide and unemployment: A longitudinal analysis covering 63 countries. 2000-11. Lancet Psychiatry 2015 Mar; 2:239) found that suicide rates increase 20-30%, 6 months before unemployment rates increase. The suicide rates were highest when baseline unemployment rates were low and the suicide rates increased independent of country, age group and sex, and were not related to a worsening economy.
So it seems that anticipating losing one's job (suicide rate increases 6 months before unemployment increases) can lead to suicide. I have blogged about what makes up our sense of identity. Many people are heavily dependent on their work to define themselves. This could put them at risk if they were anticipating losing their jobs. An unfortunate example of this might be the recent suicides of two people in politics. Missouri Auditor, Tom Schweich, was a top Republican candidate for governor and was publicly campaigning against what he saw as corruption in (Missouri) state government when a political ad came out depicting him as incompetent comparing him to Barney Fife from the Andy Griffith TV show. Schweich was also convinced that rumors were being spread that he was Jewish, potentially making it hard for him to attract conservative christian donors. Schweich then committed suicide. Apparently, Schweich went from feeling like he would easily become the Republican candidate for governor to seeing his chances dwindle and that his political career might be over as well. A month later, Schweich's media director Robert Jackson, also committed suicide. Jackson had called for the resignation of the Missouri Republican state chairman as Schweich had alleged that this person had been spreading rumors that Schweich was Jewish. The resignation did not happen and then another suicide. I wonder if Jackson felt that his political career was going to end and that it would be difficult for him to work in politics in Missouri.
It seems that the threat of losing one's job can lead to suicide. This risk is another reminder to all of us of the potential impact of stress in our lives. Please talk to family or friends or someone that you trust when you start to feel stressed. Feeling isolated makes stress worse.
Reader Comments (1)
Its going to my job that makes me want to die. Unending fatigue with endless overtime. God, let my life end soon.