Hostname: page-component-76d6cb85b7-pn7tm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-07-14T09:13:54.041Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cumulative effect of unemployment on suicide mortality in South Korean workers (2018–2019)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2024

Jaehyuk Jung Open the ORCID record for Jaehyuk Jung [Opens in a new window] ,
Kyeong-Eun Lee Open the ORCID record for Kyeong-Eun Lee [Opens in a new window] ,
Seri Hong Open the ORCID record for Seri Hong [Opens in a new window] ,
Jae Bum Park Open the ORCID record for Jae Bum Park [Opens in a new window]  and
Inchul Jeong Open the ORCID record for Inchul Jeong [Opens in a new window]
Jaehyuk Jung
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea
Kyeong-Eun Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiologic Investigation, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, 400 Jongga-ro, Jung-gu, Ulsan 44429, Korea
Seri Hong
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea
Jae Bum Park
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea
Inchul Jeong*
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea
*
Corresponding author: Inchul Jeong; Email: icjeong0101@aumc.ac.kr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

While unemployment is known to increase the risk of suicide, its cumulative effect remains underexplored. This study investigates how unemployment affects suicide mortality and whether the effect varies based on the number of unemployment spells using two years of nationwide data.

Methods

Using the data from the National Statistical Office and Employment Insurance Database for 2018 and 2019, we identified an average of 2365 cases of suicide over two years among 7.76 million workers aged 25–64 years who had been employed within one year before their suicide. The number of unemployment spells was counted using the employment history of the past five years. We calculated crude suicide mortality rates per 100 000 population, age- and sex- standardized mortality rates (SMRs), and proportionate mortality rates (PMRs) for suicide.

Results

Over the two years, the crude suicide rate was 30.0 per 100 000 among the general population and 30.5 among workers. Workers with no unemployment spells in the past five years had a significantly lower SMR (0.44; 0.42–0.46), while those with four or more unemployment spells had a significantly higher SMR (3.13; 2.92–3.35) than the general population. These findings were consistent across all sex and age groups. Additionally, workers with four or more unemployment spells had a significantly higher PMR than the general population.

Conclusion

The impact of unemployment on suicide mortality intensifies as the number of unemployment spells increases. These results underscore the necessity for additional social and psychological support along with economic assistance for individuals facing recurrent unemployment.

Keywords

job insecurityjob lossKoreamortalitysuicideunemployment

Information

Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 54 , Issue 11 , August 2024 , pp. 2899 - 2905
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ahn, E., Shin, D. W., Cho, S. I., Park, S., Won, Y. J., & Yun, Y. H. (2010). Suicide rates and risk factors among Korean cancer patients, 1993–2005. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 19(8), 2097–2105. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-10-0261CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Becker, G. S. (2009). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education (3th ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Blakely, T. A., Collings, S. C., & Atkinson, J. (2003). Unemployment and suicide. Evidence for a causal association? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 57(8), 594–600. doi: 10.1136/jech.57.8.594CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, D., Green, M. J., Davies, N., Demou, E., Howe, L. D., Harrison, S., … Munafò, M. (2022). Effects of depression on employment and social outcomes: A Mendelian randomisation study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 76(6), 563–571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheong, K. S., Choi, M. H., Cho, B. M., Yoon, T. H., Kim, C. H., Kim, Y. M., & Hwang, I. K. (2012). Suicide rate differences by sex, age, and urbanicity, and related regional factors in Korea. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 45(2), 70–77. doi: 10.3961/jpmph.2012.45.2.70CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chiu, C. C., Liu, H. C., Li, W. H., Tsai, S. Y., Chen, C. C., & Kuo, C. J. (2023). Incidence, risk and protective factors for suicide mortality among patients with major depressive disorder. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 80, 103399.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, A., Georgellis, Y., & Sanfey, P. (2001). Scarring: The psychological impact of past unemployment. Economica, 68(270), 221–241. doi: 10.1111/1468-0335.00243CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daly, M., & Delaney, L. (2013). The scarring effect of unemployment throughout adulthood on psychological distress at age 50: Estimates controlling for early adulthood distress and childhood psychological factors. Social Science and Medicine, 80, 19–23. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.12.008CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dobson, K. G., Vigod, S. N., Mustard, C., & Smith, P. M. (2021). Major depressive episodes and employment earnings trajectories over the following decade among working-aged Canadian men and women. Journal of Affective Disorders, 285, 37–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dupre, M. E., George, L. K., Liu, G., & Peterson, E. D. (2012). The cumulative effect of unemployment on risks for acute myocardial infarction. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(22), 1731–1737. doi: 10.1001/2013.jamainternmed.447CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farooq, S., Tunmore, J., Wajid Ali, M., & Ayub, M. (2021). Suicide, self-harm and suicidal ideation during COVID-19: A systematic review. Psychiatry Research, 306, 114228. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114228CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gangl, M. (2006). Scar effects of unemployment: An assessment of institutional complementarities. American Sociological Review, 71(6), 986–1013. doi: 10.1177/000312240607100606CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hakulinen, C., Elovainio, M., Arffman, M., Lumme, S., Suokas, K., Pirkola, S., … Böckerman, P. (2020). Employment status and personal income before and after onset of a severe mental disorder: A case-control study. Psychiatric Services, 71(3), 250–255.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawton, K. (2000). Sex and suicide. Gender differences in suicidal behaviour. British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 484–485. doi: 10.1192/bjp.177.6.484CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hybels, C. F., Blazer, D. G., Eagle, D. E., & Proeschold-Bell, R. J. (2022). Age differences in trajectories of depressive, anxiety, and burnout symptoms in a population with a high likelihood of persistent occupational distress. International Psychogeriatrics, 34(1), 21–32. doi: 10.1017/s1041610220001751CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hynek, K. A., Hollander, A. C., Liefbroer, A. C., Hauge, L. J., & Straiton, M. L. (2022). Change in work-related income following the uptake of treatment for mental disorders among young migrant and non-migrant women in Norway: A national register study. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 736624.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kalleberg, A. L. (1977). Work values and job rewards: A theory of job satisfaction. American Sociological Review, 42(1), 124–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, W., Ki, M., Choi, M., & Song, A. (2019). Comparable risk of suicidal ideation between workers at precarious employment and unemployment: Data from the Korean welfare panel study, 2012–2017. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(16), 2811. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16162811CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Korea Suicide Prevention Center. (2020). Suicide prevention white paper 2020 [in Korean]. Retrieved from https://www.kfsp.or.kr/web/board/15/33/?pMENU_NO=249&page=21Google Scholar
Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). (2023). Labor conditions by employment type: social insurance subscription rate, bonus and retirement pension rate, and joining a trade union rate [in Korean]. Retrieved from https://kosis.kr/statHtml/statHtml.do?orgId=118&tblId=DT_118N_LCE0008Google Scholar
Li, C. Y., & Sung, F. C. (1999). A review of the healthy worker effect in occupational epidemiology. Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England), 49(4), 225–229. doi: 10.1093/occmed/49.4.225CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maier, R., Egger, A., Barth, A., Winker, R., Osterode, W., Kundi, M., … Ruediger, H. (2006). Effects of short- and long-term unemployment on physical work capacity and on serum cortisol. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 79(3), 193–198. doi: 10.1007/s00420-005-0052-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manzoni, A., & Mooi-Reci, I. (2020). The cumulative disadvantage of unemployment: Longitudinal evidence across gender and age at first unemployment in Germany. PloS One, 15(6), e0234786. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234786CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milner, A., Page, A., & LaMontagne, A. D. (2014). Cause and effect in studies on unemployment, mental health and suicide: A meta-analytic and conceptual review. Psychological Medicine, 44(5), 909–917. doi: 10.1017/s0033291713001621CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mortensen, P. B., Agerbo, E., Erikson, T., Qin, P., & Westergaard-Nielsen, N. (2000). Psychiatric illness and risk factors for suicide in Denmark. Lancet (London, England), 355(9197), 9–12. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(99)06376-xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mousteri, V., Daly, M., & Delaney, L. (2018). The scarring effect of unemployment on psychological well-being across Europe. Social Science Research, 72, 146–169. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2018.01.007CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nordt, C., Warnke, I., Seifritz, E., & Kawohl, W. (2015). Modelling suicide and unemployment: A longitudinal analysis covering 63 countries, 2000–11. The Lancet. Psychiatry, 2(3), 239–245. doi: 10.1016/s2215-0366(14)00118-7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olesen, S. C., Butterworth, P., Leach, L. S., Kelaher, M., & Pirkis, J. (2013). Mental health affects future employment as job loss affects mental health: Findings from a longitudinal population study. BMC Psychiatry, 13(1), 1–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2023). Suicide rates (indicator). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1787/a82f3459-enCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paul, K. I., & Moser, K. (2009). Unemployment impairs mental health: Meta-analyses. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(3), 264–282. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2009.01.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pohlan, L. (2019). Unemployment and social exclusion. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 164, 273–299. doi: 10.1016/j.jebo.2019.06.006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ridley, M., Rao, G., Schilbach, F., & Patel, V. (2020). Poverty, depression, and anxiety: Causal evidence and mechanisms. Science (New York, N.Y.), 370(6522), eaay0214. doi: 10.1126/science.aay0214CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Satuf, C., Monteiro, S., Pereira, H., Esgalhado, G., Marina Afonso, R., & Loureiro, M. (2018). The protective effect of job satisfaction in health, happiness, well-being and self-esteem. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 24(2), 181–189. doi: 10.1080/10803548.2016.1216365CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharac, J., Mccrone, P., Clement, S., & Thornicroft, G. (2010). The economic impact of mental health stigma and discrimination: A systematic review. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 19(3), 223–232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skinner, A., Osgood, N. D., Occhipinti, J. A., Song, Y. J. C., & Hickie, I. B. (2023). Unemployment and underemployment are causes of suicide. Science Advances, 9(28), eadg3758. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adg3758CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistics Korea. (2022). Cause of death statistics 2021 [in Korean]. Retrieved from https://kostat.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10301060200&bid=218&act=view&list_no=420715&tag=&nPage=1&ref_bidGoogle Scholar
Strandh, M., Winefield, A., Nilsson, K., & Hammarström, A. (2014). Unemployment and mental health scarring during the life course. European Journal of Public Health, 24(3), 440–445. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cku005CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thornicroft, G., Mehta, N., Clement, S., Evans-Lacko, S., Doherty, M., Rose, D., … Henderson, C. (2016). Evidence for effective interventions to reduce mental-health-related stigma and discrimination. Lancet (London, England), 387(10023), 1123–1132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turecki, G., & Brent, D. A. (2016). Suicide and suicidal behaviour. Lancet (London, England), 387(10024), 1227–1239. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(15)00234-2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wanberg, C. R. (2012). The individual experience of unemployment. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 369–396. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100500CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Suicide worldwide in 2019: global health estimates. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240026643Google Scholar
Yoo, K. B., Park, E. C., Jang, S. Y., Kwon, J. A., Kim, S. J., Cho, K. H., … Park, S. (2016). Association between employment status change and depression in Korean adults. BMJ Open, 6(3), e008570. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008570CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yoon, J. H., Jung, S. J., Choi, J., & Kang, M. Y. (2019). Suicide trends over time by occupation in Korea and their relationship to economic downturns. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(11), 2007. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16112007CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yoon, S., Kim, J. Y., Park, J., & Kim, S. S. (2017). Loss of permanent employment and its association with suicidal ideation: A cohort study in South Korea. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 43(5), 457–464. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3646CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yur'yev, A., Värnik, A., Värnik, P., Sisask, M., & Leppik, L. (2012). Employment status influences suicide mortality in Europe. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 58(1), 62–68. doi: 10.1177/0020764010387059CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Jung et al. supplementary material

Jung et al. supplementary material
Download Jung et al. supplementary material(File)
File 21 KB