Understanding Suicide in Türkiye: The Role of Income, Unemployment, Consumer Loans, Cost of Living, and Health Expenditure

Abstract

A healthy and fulfilling life is essential for individuals to engage effectively and productively within society. The absence of these conditions can increase vulnerability to mental health issues and, in severe cases, lead to suicidal behavior. Suicide is a complex and pressing social issue that reflects not only individual suffering but also broader socioeconomic challenges. Individuals experiencing economic hardship, social isolation, or unmet basic needs are at a heightened risk for suicide, highlighting the need for a comprehensive public health response. It is essential to understand the key contributing factors to develop effective prevention strategies and inform sound social policy. This study aims to investigate the relationship between suicide and various socio-economic factors — including income, unemployment, consumer loans, cost of living, and health expenditure — in Türkiye over the period 1993–2023, using the ARDL bounds testing approach. According to the cointegration test, it is inferred that there is a long-run relationship among the variables. Long-run coefficients show that increases in income and health expenditure reduce suicide cases, while increases in consumer loans increase suicide cases. The coefficient of the error correction term is negative and statistically significant as anticipated. In addition, the results were tested using the FMOLS method, and similar to the ARDL model, the negative relationship between income and the dependent variable and the positive relationship between consumer loans and the dependent variable were found. The causality relationship is investigated by the Toda-Yamamoto test. The findings obtained from this test show that GDP per capita and consumer loans are Granger causes of suicide.

Keywords

• Suicide
• Gross Domestic Product
• Consumer Loans
• Unemployment
• ARDL Bounds Test Approach

Türkiye'de İntiharı Anlamak: Gelir, İşsizlik, Tüketici Kredisi, Hayat Pahalılığı ve Sağlık Harcamalarının Rolü

Abstract

Sağlıklı ve tatmin edici bir yaşam, bireylerin toplumda etkili ve üretken bir şekilde yer alabilmeleri için gereklidir. Bu koşulların olmaması, ruh sağlığı sorunlarına yatkınlığı artırabilmektedir ve ciddi durumlarda intihar davranışına yol açabilmektedir. İntihar, sadece bireysel acıyı değil, aynı zamanda daha geniş sosyoekonomik zorlukları da yansıtan karmaşık ve acil bir sosyal sorundur. Ekonomik zorluklar, sosyal izolasyon veya karşılanmamış temel ihtiyaçlar yaşayan bireyler intihar riski altındadır ve bu da kapsamlı bir halk sağlığı müdahalesinin gerekliliğini vurgulamaktadır. Etkili önleme stratejileri geliştirebilmek ve güçlü sosyal politikalar oluşturabilmek için, bu süreçleri tetikleyen temel faktörlerin anlaşılması büyük önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışma, ARDL sınır testi yaklaşımını kullanarak, 1993-2023 dönemi için Türkiye'de intihar ile çeşitli sosyoekonomik faktörler (gelir, işsizlik, tüketici kredileri, hayat pahalılığı ve sağlık harcamaları) arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Eşbütünleşme testine göre, değişkenler arasında uzun dönemli bir ilişki olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Uzun dönem katsayıları, gelir ve sağlık harcamalarındaki artışların intihar vakalarını azalttığını, tüketici kredilerindeki artışların ise intihar vakalarını artırdığını göstermektedir. Hata düzeltme teriminin katsayısı beklentilerle uyumlu olarak negatif ve istatistiksel olarak anlamlıdır. Ayrıca, sonuçlar FMOLS yöntemi kullanılarak test edilmiş ve ARDL modeline benzer şekilde, gelir ile bağımlı değişken arasında negatif bir ilişki ve tüketici kredileri ile bağımlı değişken arasında pozitif bir ilişki olduğu bulunmuştur. Nedensellik ilişkisi Toda-Yamamoto testi ile incelenmiştir. Bu testten elde edilen bulgular, kişi başına GSYİH ve tüketici kredilerinin intiharın Granger nedenleri olduğunu göstermektedir.

Keywords

• İntihar
• Gayri Safi Yurt İçi Hasıla
• Tüketici Kredileri
• İşsizlik
• ARDL Sınır Testi Yaklaşımı

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