- Recessions force people to be frugal, cook at home, stop driving cars
- It means nutrition-related fatalities and fatal road accidents decrease
- But alcohol- and cigarette-related issues may take longer to emerge
- And suicide rates rise at same rate as rising joblessness, authors warn
Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com
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People live longer during economic recessions, according to new research.
For every 1 per cent increase in unemployment, mortality rates drop by 0.5 per cent, according to a global study carried out between 1960 and 2010.
Experts attribute the shift to more home-cooking, which boosts nutrition levels, and fewer car commuters, driving down the number of road accidents.
Another silver lining in the bleak reality of unemployment is that it gives people more time to lead a healthy lifestyle, being able to plan meals and exercise.
And the stigma of being unemployed decreases, alleviating feeling of anxiety and depression that can have devastating psychological consequences.
Not so bad? For every 1 per cent increase in unemployment, mortality rates drop by 0.5 per cent (data pictured), according to a global study carried out between 1960 and 2010
However, the research also shows suicide rates have been steadily climbing since the recession of 2008.
For every 1 per cent spike in the rate of joblessness, there has been a 1 per cent spike in the number of suicides.
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The authors of the study, compiled by IZA World of Labor and Anglia Ruskin University, also warn negative impacts on health – from turning to cigarettes or alcohol, for example – may take longer to emerge.
But in the US the data show recessions have sparked a sharp drop in smoking and drinking, driving down rates of obesity, heart attacks, and liver disease.
People were also seen to spend more time exercising.
Asian countries have historically fared best during recessions, according to the mortality rates.
For each 1 per cent increase in unemployment, mortality rates in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines dropped by 1.4 per cent.
Researchers warn that there are severe negative impacts despite the surprising uptick in lifespan. Here data shows the percentage increase in suicides per 1 per cent of joblessness
Germany saw the second biggest shift, with a 1.1 per cent drop in deaths.
And the US is third in the table, with a 0.5 per cent drop in mortality rates per 1 per cent increase in unemployment.
‘Although these studies show a fall in mortality rates during recessions amongst the population as a whole, they may worsen rates amongst specific social groups,’ Dr Nick Drydakis of Anglia Ruskin University said.
He added: ‘Social planners should acknowledge that the extent to which recessions affect a population’s health depends on the extent to which vulnerable people are protected.
‘Minimum income benefits, long-term unemployment benefits and access to health and mental health services can be effective ways of mitigating the adverse effects of recessions.’
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