Studies Show Austerity Policies Exacerbate US Suicide Epidemic

[vkkv]

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/35785-studies-show-austerity-policies-exacerbate-us-suicide-epidemic

Studies Show Austerity Policies Exacerbate US Suicide Epidemic
Monday, 25 April 2016 17:21


Numerous studies have found a strong connection between right-wing economic policies and suicide.

Recent research from sociologists David Stuckler and Sanjay Basu, for example, found that suicide rates in both the US and UK increase when working class wages and wealth decline. Things were particularly bad during the recession period here in the US when, according to the study's authors, there were 4,750 "excess" suicides.

Another study, this time out of Australia, discovered a similar pattern in that country. It found that almost 35,000 extra suicides occurred when the "Tories" (Australian slang for right-wingers) controlled the government.

This isn't just something that happens in the English-speaking world, either.

When right-wing austerity policies began to ravage Greece in 2010, the suicide rate jumped almost 18 percent. In Athens alone, it soared to 25 percent.

The same thing happened in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. In a rush to switch the former communist country over to the free market, economists forced it go through shock doctrine-style privatization. The result was a sharp rise in suicides, heart attacks and alcohol deaths.

Obviously, right-wing economic policies don't cause every suicide. Some people kill themselves because they have already-existing mental health problems. Others kill themselves because of the shock of sudden personal tragedy.

But even so, there's no question that right-wing economic policies, otherwise known as Reaganomics, worsen these problems.

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Money issues certainly do break up families and that's not a good thing for any nation either...

[elleng]

1. No sh*t, sherlock!

and did help, in a big way, to break up my family, as spouse couldn't discuss the matter civilly.

Happening all over the world, too.

[vkkv]

2. Wow.. lot's of hate there... "No sh*t, sherlock!" - Very nice Elleng, making D.U. so very pleasant!

Please don't shoot the messenger, the piece came from reputable Truthout.org... Go cuss at them.

Perhaps the break up of your family had less to do with money than you think?

[elleng]

3. Yes, lots of hate for world bankers.

Not shooting anyone, emphasizing the truth of the OP.

[2naSalit]

4. Interesting...

I had the same reaction to the article even though my experience is different from Ellen's. Maybe you could keep some of your projections toward others to yourself if you don't have anything positive to say.

No two people have the same experience, I'm sure yours is different too.

I have lost more than one family member to suicide because of austerity so... maybe you could have a little more of an open mind about that rather than dissing someone because they had a different experience and you don't like it for whatever reasons.

I happen to admire Ellen for sharing that about her experience.

[vkkv]

7. ""Maybe you could keep some of your projections toward others to yourself if you don't have anything

positive to say. """

- That was my point to Elleng..

[Cassiopeia]

5. Yes, this could easily be filed in the no shit sherlock drawer.

A study? Hard times brought on by financial struggles make suicide rates increase.

No shit indeed.

[vkkv]

6. Perhaps you should have used your great skills of the English language to submit a

paper or study to TruthOut...?

You could have dove into the evidence, researched and wrote a proper piece that would be published.. Nah!

Shoulda-coulda-woulda, right?

[Downwinder]

8. Austerity creates the conditions.

Sometimes it is something as small as a nasty conversation that is the trigger.

Lets try to be nice to each other. GD-P is not the whole world.