Financial strains such as high debt, low income and unemployment are associated with suicide attempts and should be considered key factors when assessing mental health interventions, a new study from Duke Health researchers shows.
While the study was undertaken before the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings are especially relevant within the context of the economic downturn triggered by the spread of the virus.
“Our research shows that financial stressors play a major role in suicides, and this needs to be recognized and appreciated in light of the unprecedented financial instability triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
— Eric Elbogen, PhD
“Our research shows that financial stressors play a major role in suicides, and this needs to be recognized and appreciated in light of the unprecedented financial instability triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Eric Elbogen, PhD, a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke, and lead author of a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Read the full press release on the Duke Health News website.