Recession linked to more than 10,000 suicides

Source: CBS News

The Great Recession that began in 2007 appears to have taken more than a financial toll. New research suggests that the economic downturn could be linked with more than 10,000 suicides across North America and Europe.

The study found that between 2008 and 2010, rates of suicide surged in the European Union, Canada and the United States. The increase was four times higher among men than women, according to the report published in the current issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

"There has been a substantial rise in suicides during the recession, greater than we would have anticipated based on previous trends," lead author Dr. Aaron Reeves, of Oxford University's department of sociology, said in a university news release.

... According to the study authors, these figures are "conservative" estimates. They said that the actual number of suicides since the recession hit are likely much greater than expected.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/recession-linked-to-more-than-10000-suicides-in-north-america-europe/