Systematic review of suicide in economic recession

To provide a systematic update of the evidence concerning the relationship between economic recession and suicide.

A keyword search of Ovid Medline, Embase, Embase Classic, PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES was performed to identify studies that had investigated the association between economic recession and suicide.

Thirty-eight studies met predetermined selection criteria and 31 of them found a positive association between economic recession and increased suicide rates. Two studies reported a negative association, two articles failed to find such an association, and three studies were inconclusive.

Economic recession periods appear to increase overall suicide rates, although further research is warranted in this area, particularly in low income countries.