The associations between suicides, economic conditions and social isolation: Insights from Spain

Suicide is among the main challenges that need to be addressed in developed countries. In this paper, we analyse suicides across the 17 Spanish regions over the period 2014-2019. More precisely, our objective is to re-study the determinants of suicides focusing on the latest economic expansion period. We use count panel data models and sex stratification. A range of aggregate socioeconomic regional-level factors have been identified. Our empirical results show that: (1) a socioeconomic urban-rural suicide gaps exist; (2) there are significant gender differences, for the women a Mediterranean suicide pattern appears whereas unemployment levels have a significant importance for men, (3) social isolation factors, when significant, they show an (a priori) surprisingly positive result. We provide new highlights for suicide prevention in Spain. Precisely, it is highlighted that jointly policies by gender and attending to vulnerable groups are both necessary.

Automated summary

This study examines suicides in 17 regions of Spain from 2014 to 2019, with a focus on the determinants of suicides during the latest economic expansion period. The results show that there are socioeconomic urban-rural suicide gaps, significant gender differences, and surprising positive results for social isolation factors. The study provides new insights for suicide prevention in Spain, emphasizing the need for comprehensive policies that consider gender and vulnerable groups.