Confusing Headline of the Morning

I say, “of the morning” because they’ve become so common now when it comes to mental health-related articles, I’m sure several more will roll on in during the rest of the day. This is from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, out of California:

Losing job a common factor in suicide cases

This had me thinking about the economy, and a potential consequence of it. I think it implies, to the average reader, a strong cause-and-effect between job loss and suicide. But the first paragraph of the piece reads:

The loss of a job and fear of financial ruin can drive people to suicide, but usually not without other compelling reasons, an expert said Wednesday.

“You have to be on the edge of the suicidal precipice before losing your job would kind of tip the scale,” said Dr. Ronald Maris, author and professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of South Carolina Medical School. “A lot of people lose their jobs. Very few people kill themselves.”

And here’s how the article ends:

Historically, there is a slight increase in the suicide rate during economic downturns, he said. And white men older than 50 have by far the highest suicide rate, according to the Web site Suicide.org.

But it’s never quite that simple, Maris said.

For people to kill themselves, other things also must be happening in their lives, Maris said.

Emotional instability, marital or financial problems or substance abuse can combine to influence decisions, he said.

“Suicide is multi-factoral,” Maris said. “I would never support a one-cause theory of suicide.”

The overall impression of the piece is that job loss can potentially exacerbate depression that is already present, but is not a primary factor in suicides. Especially when dealing with men and depression, the article concedes, increased access to firearms may play a greater role than job loss. For the whole piece, go here.

liz | 10:38 AM | Uncategorized