The Impact of the Great Recession on Mental Health-Related Mortality in 41 Countries

• In Event: 212 - Section on Inequality, Poverty and Mobility Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 07. Life Course and Intergenerational Perspectives on Inequality

Abstract

Background: To investigate the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis on trends in deaths due to mental and behavioural disorders (mental health deaths) and identify population groups most affected in terms of age, gender and country’s mortality strata. Methods: We estimated the portion of mental health deaths attributable to the Great Recession by using time-trend analysis comparing population-adjusted number of deaths in 2008-2009 with those expected based on pre-crisis trends (2000-2007) in 41 countries. Data on death rates from 2000 to 2009 came from the World Health Organization Mortality Database; data for the US came from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Online Database. Results: In 2008-2009, men and women had a 5.6% (95% CI 4.8% to 6.3%) and 8.9% (8.3% to 9.5%) higher risk of mental health deaths compared to pre-crisis years. Men had an estimated 8043 (6975 to 9111) and women 20786 (19418 to 22154) excess deaths, for a total of 28829 (27069 to 30541). The largest proportion of crisis-attributable deaths occurred among very old populations and in countries with very low child and low adult mortality. In countries belonging to higher mortality strata, results were mixed. In all mortality strata, women experienced, on average, higher risks of crisis-attributable deaths than men. Conclusions: After the Great Recession, mental health deaths increased, especially among old populations and women in high-income countries. More research is needed to investigate mechanisms that connect economic crises with higher mortality in women and older people affected by mental health disorders.

Authors

• Roberto De Vogli, University of California-Davis

• Jo Mhairi Hale, University of California-Davis