Epidemiological study and cost analysis of suicide in Spain: Over 100 years of evolution

Objective: Society has changed during the last 100 years of evolution; however, some problems, such as suicide, remain. The objective here is to carry out a long-term epidemiological study in Spain, and to calculate the social and labor costs of 2016. Method: Epidemiological data were obtained from official data obtained between 1906 – 2016. The calculation of the costs of suicides included the social costs and the costs of production losses (labor costs). The latter were obtained by the human capital method, taking into account the unemployment rate. The economic growth rate stood at 2.6% per year. Results: The suicide rate was between 4 and 8% per year. The evolution during these 100 years had three periods. Until 1940 it had slight increases, and then it decreased until 1980 and, subsequently, the rate increased until it reached almost 8% in 2016. The costs of the suicides were 2,167 million € of economic losses for society, or its equivalent of 607 € for suicide. Conclusions: Public health policies aimed at the prevention of suicide should be increased, and supported by the economic costs they mean for society.