Educational inequalities in suicide in the highly volatile economy of Argentina

Little is known about how economic fluctuations affect educational inequalities in mortality in low- or middle-income countries. The objective of this study is to analyze the temporal variations in educational differentials in suicide in four Argentinian provinces.

Data on suicides for ages 25 years and over and three age groups (25-44, 45-64, and 65 +) in four Argentinian provinces during the period 1999-2013 were linked to population data and information on the educational level of the deceased. Regression models were estimated using age, sex, year, province of residence, educational level, and economic character of the year (expansion or recession) as explanatory variables.

The educational gap in suicide mortality widened since the expansion following the crisis of 1999-2002, and then only decreased in 2005 and 2011. For ages 45-64, the confidence intervals of the suicide rate overlapped each year, and the suicide rate of the middle-high education population exceeded the suicide rate of the low-education population in 2 recession years, 1999 and 2002. Considering the years of economic expansion or recession as a dichotomous variable, at ages 45-64 differences in suicide rates by educational level disappeared during years of recession, while they were present in years of expansion.

Suicides rise during economic downturns but these periods could reduce the educational gaps of suicide mortality by increasing the vulnerability of adults of high educational level to changes in the economy.