Opposite nonlinear effects of unemployment and sentiment on male and female suicide rates: Evidence from Australia

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 292; p. 114536
• Main Authors: Botha, Ferdi, Nguyen, Viet H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2022; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Asymmetry; Attitude; Australia; Australia - epidemiology; Consumer sentiment; Economic conditions; Effects; Female; Gender differences; Humans; Male; Sex Factors; Suicide; Suicide rate; Suicides & suicide attempts; Unemployment; Unemployment rate; Australia; Consumer sentiment; Unemployment rate; Suicide rate; C22; Asymmetry; E24; I10; Australia; E70
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114536

We investigate gender differences in the effects of unemployment and sentiment on suicide rates. Using monthly Australian data, we find a positive relationship between the unemployment rate and the suicide rate, and a negative relationship between consumer sentiment and the suicide rate. However, there is strong evidence of nonlinearity in the effects of both unemployment and sentiment on suicide rates, with substantial gender differences. For men, an increase in the unemployment rate increases the suicide rate, but an unemployment decrease has no effect; we find the opposite for women. For men, an increase in sentiment has stronger effects on the suicide rate than a decrease in sentiment. Again, we observe the opposite effect for women. Among sentiment components, forward-looking expectations are stronger predictors of suicide rates than present conditions. Sentiment has a much stronger effect on male suicide rates than on female suicide rates. •We study gender differences in the effects of unemployment and sentiment on suicide.•Higher unemployment and lower sentiment increase suicide rates.•Higher unemployment increases male suicide rates.•Lower sentiment increases female suicide rates.•Economic expectations are strong predictors of suicide rates.