ECONOMIC-FACTORS AND THE RATES OF SUICIDE IN GERMANY BETWEEN 1881 AND1989

The potential consequence of economic stress most frequently cited in the literature of medical sociology is the increase in the rate of sui cide, it probably being the most valid and reliable indicator of colle ctive mental health. To assess the probability of such being the conse quence of current economic realignment in the Federal Republic of Germ any, we deemed it promising to evaluate the extent to and manner in wh ich economic factors have to dare affected the frequency of suicide in Germany. The current study analyzed the effects of four economic vari ables (growth of the economy, average real income, unemployment and fr equency of bankruptcy) on the rates of suicide in Germany from 1881 to 1989. We set the commencement date of the period analyzed as early as possible to include long-term developments as well as the effects of different moderator variables. The annual fluctuations of all four var iables, in conformity with our hypothesis, correlated both in The peri od preceding World War II as well as in the postwar period with those in the rates of suicide. The strongest correlations held for the rate of unemployment and for the frequency of bankruptcy in times of obviou s social disintegration coupled with diminished state safeguards again st unemployment. Our hypothesis that the effects of economic factors w ould more strongly influence the rates of suicide by men as opposed to women could not be corroborated.