Socio-economic, health and environmental factors influencing suicide rates: A cross-country study in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a crucial concern for public health in the world. To date, there is no synthesized evidence about the cross-country impact of suicide risk factors in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO). This paper aims to cover the gap and assess socio-economic, health, and environmental (SHE) factors influencing suicide rates among the EMRO countries from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: This analysis is a cross-sectional time-series design which uses random-effect panel data from 17 EMRO countries. SHE variables are inflation rate, economic growth, unemployment rate, urbanization, and female labor force participation rate, mental disorders prevalence and individuals using the internet. RESULTS: The models indicate that male suicide rates was positively associated with inflation rate (coefficient = 0.002, p < 0.05) unemployment rate (0.06, p < 0.01), mental disorders prevalence (0.0008, p < 0.01), and urbanization (0.08, p < 0.05). Conversely, individuals using the internet (-0.019, p < 0.01) was related to a reduction in male suicide rates. Variables correlated with an increase in female suicide rates included inflation rate (0.001, p < 0.05), mental disorders prevalence (coefficient = 0.0004, p < 0.01) and urbanization (0.03, p < 0.01). Individuals using the internet (-0.006, p < 0.01) and education index (-4.8, p < 0.01) had negative effect on female suicide rates. CONCLUSIONS: This research confirms that SHE factors appear to affect suicide. So policymakers should endeavor to control them if the nations are aimed at preventing suicides. Future researches are essential to scrutinize paradoxes in the field.