Socioeconomic Determinants of Suicide in Iran: Panel Data Study

Sara Emamgholipour; Mohammad Arab; Reza Shirani

doi:10.18502/ijph.v50i11.7587

Sara Emamgholipour Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Arab Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Reza Shirani Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v50i11.7587

Keywords: Divorce; Iran; Mental health; Socioeconomic factors; Suicide; Panel data regression

Abstract

Background: A set of experiences that leads to the destruction of individual’s self-esteem are the main causes of suicide. Socioeconomic factors can be reasons for this event. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of socioeconomic variables on suicide.

Methods: A panel data model was used to investigate the impact of socioeconomic indexes on the number of suicides in each province of Iran from 2001-2016. The data of socioeconomic variables were obtained from the statistical center of Iran, and data for the number of suicides in each province were obtained from the forensic science department. The analysis was conducted using estimated generalized least squares method by EViews version 8.

Results: The lowest and highest number of suicides was in 2001 (4.97 per 100,000 populations) and 2004 (5.97 per 100,000 populations), respectively and the average rate of suicide from 2001 to 2013 was 1.01 also unemployment, divorce, and industrialization rates have high impact on suicides for both sexes in P<0.05.

Conclusion: Living skills training should be provided to the members of the societies as a short-term plan and in the long-term, improving the economic condition of people should be conduct to reduce the number of suicides.