Recession could lead to more suicides

The global recession could lead to more murders, suicides and heart attacks. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Oxford University studied death rates from over 30 causes of death between 1970 and 2007. They then compared the results to levels of unemployment and the amount Governments spent on helping the jobless. They found that a 3% rise in unemployment would lead to a 2.4% rise in suicide among people under 64, a 2.4% rise in homicide rates and a 2.7% rise in heart attacks for people between 30 and 44. The study found that spending £115 per person ($190) on "active labour market programmes" would mitigate most of these effects. The study also found that the recession would lead to a 4.2% fall in road deaths as more people walked or used public transport.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201211.htm