A direct link ties government austerity measures to a sharp rise in male suicides, according to research carried out at the University of Portsmouth.
Researchers say that for every 1% decline in government spending in Greece, there was a 0.43% rise in suicides among men. Between 2009 and 2010, 551 Greek men killed themselves "solely because of fiscal austerity", one of the co-authors of the study, Nikolaos Antonakakis told The Guardian.
"That is almost one person per day. Given that in 2010 there were around two suicides in Greece per day, it appears 50% were due to austerity," Antonakakis said.
Economist Alan Collins, a co-author of the report, said that there is a clear gender divide, as there hasn't been an obvious rise in female suicides. Men aged 45-89 face the highest suicide risk due to austerity, as they are more likely to suffer cuts to their salaries and pensions.
