Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Mailstop F-64, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, USA.
Am J Public Health. 2011 Jun;101(6):1139-46. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2010.300010. Epub 2011 Apr 14.
We examined the associations of overall and age-specific suicide rates with business cycles from 1928 to 2007 in the United States.
We conducted a graphical analysis of changes in suicide rates during business cycles, used nonparametric analyses to test associations between business cycles and suicide rates, and calculated correlations between the national unemployment rate and suicide rates.
Graphical analyses showed that the overall suicide rate generally rose during recessions and fell during expansions. Age-specific suicide rates responded differently to recessions and expansions. Nonparametric tests indicated that the overall suicide rate and the suicide rates of the groups aged 25 to 34 years, 35 to 44 years, 45 to 54 years, and 55 to 64 years rose during contractions and fell during expansions. Suicide rates of the groups aged 15 to 24 years, 65 to 74 years, and 75 years and older did not exhibit this behavior. Correlation results were concordant with all nonparametric results except for the group aged 65 to 74 years.
Business cycles may affect suicide rates, although different age groups responded differently. Our findings suggest that public health responses are a necessary component of suicide prevention during recessions.
我们检验了 1928 年至 2007 年美国商业周期与总体和特定年龄自杀率之间的关联。
我们对商业周期期间自杀率的变化进行了图形分析，使用非参数分析检验了商业周期与自杀率之间的关联，并计算了全国失业率与自杀率之间的相关性。
图形分析表明，总体自杀率通常在衰退期间上升，在扩张期间下降。特定年龄的自杀率对衰退和扩张的反应不同。非参数检验表明，总体自杀率以及 25 至 34 岁、35 至 44 岁、45 至 54 岁和 55 至 64 岁年龄组的自杀率在收缩期间上升，在扩张期间下降。15 至 24 岁、65 至 74 岁和 75 岁及以上年龄组的自杀率则没有表现出这种行为。相关结果除了 65 至 74 岁年龄组外，与所有非参数结果一致。
商业周期可能会影响自杀率，尽管不同年龄组的反应不同。我们的研究结果表明，公共卫生应对措施是在衰退期间预防自杀的必要组成部分。
