Income inequalities and suicide risk

Because of the recent world economic crisis differences in health between rich and poor people have increased, differences which include mental health. Researchers from the World Psychiatric Association looked into this further in a study of depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in South Korea between 1998 and 2007. The researchers found that these problems were more highly concentrated in lower-income groups. This inequality had got worse in recent years, especially in terms of suicide attempts, doubling over the past 10 years as income inequalities became more pronounced following the economic crisis. Over this period the suicide rate in South Korea doubled from 13 per 100,000 to 26 per 100,000 the highest rate among countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Cooperatin and Development (OECD).