A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Economic hardship and suicide mortality in Finland, 1875-2010
Authors: Korhonen M, Puhakka M, Viren M
Publisher: SPRINGER
Publication year: 2016
Journal: European Journal of Health Economics
Journal name in source: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS
Journal acronym: EUR J HEALTH ECON
Volume: 17
Issue: 2
First page : 129
Last page: 137
Number of pages: 9
ISSN: 1618-7598
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-014-0658-5
Abstract
We investigate the determinants of suicide in Finland using annual data for consumption and suicides from 1860 to 2010. Instead of using some ad hoc measures of cyclical movements of the economy, we build our analysis on a more solid economic theory. A key feature is the habit persistence in preferences, which provides a way to measure individual well-being and predict suicide. We estimate time series of habit levels and develop an indicator (the hardship index) to describe the economic hardship of consumers. The higher the level of the index, the worse off consumers are. As a rational response to such a bad situation, some consumers might commit suicide. We employ the autoregressive distributed lags cointegration method and find that our index works well in explaining the long-term behavior of people committing suicide in Finland.
We investigate the determinants of suicide in Finland using annual data for consumption and suicides from 1860 to 2010. Instead of using some ad hoc measures of cyclical movements of the economy, we build our analysis on a more solid economic theory. A key feature is the habit persistence in preferences, which provides a way to measure individual well-being and predict suicide. We estimate time series of habit levels and develop an indicator (the hardship index) to describe the economic hardship of consumers. The higher the level of the index, the worse off consumers are. As a rational response to such a bad situation, some consumers might commit suicide. We employ the autoregressive distributed lags cointegration method and find that our index works well in explaining the long-term behavior of people committing suicide in Finland.
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