[Analysis of the relation between socioeconomic factors and suicidal behavior]

The paper explores case histories of 128 patients hospitalized for suicide attempts at the Institute of Neurology, Psychiatry and Mental health in Novi Sad for a period of two years. The analysis of relevant suicidological data was carried out with the aim of determining the significance which SOCIOECONOMIC factors play in gene-rating suicidal behavior. Under the item "occupation/employment" most frequent were "workers" 21.88 per cent, followed by unemployed persons--17.19 per cent, while those on social welfare constituted 16.4 per cent. Financial poverty as the motive for suicide attempt is most often encountered among unemployed ones and those on social welfare. In the total sample, this poverty was registered in 19 cases (14.84 per cent). It is interesting that this motive is more often present in younger persons, where mean age for those on social welfare is 28 and for the unemployed ones is 29 years. The diagnosis most often found in these groups is "Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood (309.00)", no psychotic episodes were found. With respect to alcohol dependence, it is much less present among those on social welfare than in the rest of the sample. Therefore, financial poverty is not negligible factor of suicide risk. This finding directly confirms that financial poverty as suicide generator has so far not been researched sufficiently or is evidently on the rise, at least in our society.