Occupational class differences in suicide: evidence of changes over time and during the global financial crisis in Australia

BMC Psychiatry

Anthony D. LaMontagne¹  Heather Niven²  Alison J. Milner¹ 

[1] McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia;Work, Health, & Welbeing Unit, Population Health Strategic Research Centre, School of Health & Social Development, Deakin University, Building BC3.213, Burwood, Melbourne 3125, VIC, Australia

关键词: Gender;    Intentional self-harm;    Skill level;    Socio-economic gradient;    Gender;    Recession;    Suicide;    Occupation;   

Others  :  1229577
DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-015-0608-5

 received in 2015-03-14, accepted in 2015-09-11,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

Previous research showed an increase in Australian suicide rates during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). There has been no research investigating whether suicide rates by occupational class changed during the GFC. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the GFC-associated increase in suicide rates in employed Australians may have masked changes by occupational class.

Methods

Negative binomial regression models were used to investigate Rate Ratios (RRs) in suicide by occupational class. Years of the GFC (2007, 2008, 2009) were compared to the baseline years 2001–2006.

Results

There were widening disparities between a number of the lower class occupations and the highest class occupations during the years 2007, 2008, and 2009 for males, but less evidence of differences for females.

Conclusions

Occupational disparities in suicide rates widened over the GFC period. There is a need for programs to be responsive to economic downturns, and to prioritise the occupational groups most affected.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Milner et al.

【 图 表 】

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Berk M, Dodd S, Henry M: The effect of macroeconomic variables on suicide. Psychol Med 2006, 36:181-9.
• [2]Barr B, Taylor-Robinson D, Scott-Samuel A, McKee M, Stuckler D: Suicides associated with the 2008-10 economic recession in England: time trend analysis. BMJ 2012., 345Article ID e5142
• [3]Chang S-S, Stuckler D, Yip P, Gunnell D. Impact of 2008 global economic crisis on suicide: time trend study in 54 countries. BMJ. 2013;347:. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f5239 webcite
• [4]Reeves A, Stuckler D, McKee M, Gunnell D, Chang S-S, Basu S: Increase in state suicide rates in the USA during economic recession. Lancet 2012, 380:1813-4.
• [5]Stuckler D, Basu S, Suhrcke M, Coutts A, McKee M: Effects of the 2008 recession on health: a first look at European data. Lancet 2011, 378:124-5.
• [6]Saurina C, Bragulat B, Saez M, Lopez-Casasnovas G: A conditional model for estimating the increase in suicides associated with the 2008-2010 economic recession in England. J Epidemiol Community Health 2013, 67:779-87.
• [7]Milner A, Morrell S, LaMontagne AD. Economically inactive, unemployed and employed suicides in Australia by age and sex over a 10-year period: what was the impact of the 2007 economic recession? Int J Epidemiol. 2014; doi:10.1093/ije/dyu148.
• [8]Milner A, Spittal MJ, Pirkis J, LaMontagne AD: Suicide by occupation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry 2013, 203:409-16.
• [9]Kim MD, Hong SC, Lee SY, Kwak YS, Lee CI, Hwang SW, et al.: Suicide risk in relation to social class: a national register-based study of adult suicides in Korea, 1999-2001. The Int J Soc Psychiatry 2006, 52:138-51.
• [10]Roberts SE, Jaremin B, Lloyd K. High-risk occupations for suicide. Psychol Med. 2012;1-10 doi:10.1017/s0033291712002024.
• [11]ABS. ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand standard classification of occupations, First Edition, Revision 1. Cat. No. 1220.0. Canberra Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009.
• [12]ABS. Australian demographic statistics, September quarter 2002. Cat. No. 3101.0. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003.
• [13]Agerbo E, Mortensen PB, Qin P, Westergaard-Nielsen N: Risk of suicide in relation to income level in people admitted to hospital with mental illness: nested case-control study. BMJ 2001, 332:334-5.
• [14]Meltzer H, Griffiths C, Brock A, Rooney C, Jenkins R: Patterns of suicide by occupation in England and Wales: 2001-2005. Br J Psychiatry 2008, 193:73-6.
• [15]Mustard CA, Bielecky A, Etches J, Wilkins R, Tjepkema M, Amick BC, et al.: Suicide mortality by occupation in Canada, 1991-2001. Can J Psychiatry 2010, 55:369-76.
• [16]Heller TS, Hawgood JL, Leo DD: Correlates of suicide in building industry workers. Arch Suicide Res 2007, 11:105-17.
• [17]Milner A, Niven H, LaMontagne AD. Suicide by occupational skill level in the Australian construction industry: Data from a national register of deaths over the period 2001 to 2010. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007;38:281–5.
• [18]Hawton K, Malmberg A, Simkin S: Suicide in doctors. A psychological autopsy study. J Psychosom Res 2004, 57:1-4.
• [19]Hong J, Knapp M, McGuire A: Income-related inequalities in the prevalence of depression and suicidal behaviour: a 10-year trend following economic crisis. World Psychiatry 2011, 10:40-4.
• [20]Blakely T, Tobias M, Atkinson J: Inequalities in mortality during and after restructuring of the New Zealand economy: repeated cohort studies. BMJ 2008, 336:371-5.
• [21]Mackenbach JP, Bos V, Andersen O, Cardano M, Costa G, Harding S, et al.: Widening socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in six Western European countries. Int J Epidemiol 2003, 32:830-7.
• [22]Astell-Burt T, Feng X: Health and the 2008 economic recession: evidence from the United Kingdom. PLoS One 2013, 8:e56674.
• [23]LaMontagne AD, Krnjacki L, Kavanagh AM, Bentley R: Psychosocial working conditions in a representative sample of working Australians 2001–2008: an analysis of changes in inequalities over time. Occup Environ Med 2013, 70:639-47.
• [24]Stansfeld S, Candy B: Psychosocial work environment and mental health--a meta-analytic review. Scand J Work Environ Health 2006, 32:443-62.
• [25]Oesch D: What explains high unemployment among low-skilled workers? Evidence from 21 OECD countries. European Journal of Industrial Relations 2010, 16:39-55.
• [26]ABS. Labour force, Australia, detailed, quarterly, May 2013. Cat. No. 6291.0.55.003. Canberra Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013.
• [27]De Leo D, Dudley MJ, Aebersold CJ, Mendoza JA, Barnes MA, Harrison JE, et al.: Achieving standardised reporting of suicide in Australia: rationale and program for change. Med J Aust 2010, 192:452-6.
• [28]Simon-Davies J. Suicide in Australia. Available from http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/2011-2012/Suicide. Canberra: Parliament of Australia, 2011.
• [29]Labonte R, Schrecker T: Globalization and social determinants of health: Introduction and methodological background (part 1 of 3). Global Health 2007, 3:5. BioMed Central Full Text