Role of social welfare in European suicide prevention

Yur'yev A, Värnik A, Värnik P, Sisask M, Leppik L. Role of social welfare in European suicide prevention The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between suicide mortality and social expenditure in 26 European countries, explore attitudes towards welfare systems and their relationship with suicide mortality, and compare attitudes towards welfare provision in Eastern and Western Europe. The World Health Organization suicide data and Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development social expenditure data for 1980–2005 were used. Data on attitudes towards welfare systems were taken from the European Social Survey. Differences between mean scores for attitudes in Western and Eastern European countries were calculated. Correlations between social expenditure and suicide trends were negative in most countries for both genders. Inverse correlations between attitudes towards welfare provision and suicide mortality rates were demonstrated for males only. Differences in attitudes were found between Eastern and Western European countries; for example, confidence in the welfare system was found to be stronger in Western Europe. Higher social expenditure and greater confidence in welfare provision appear to have suicide‐preventive effects.     

Debt repayment problems: short-term and long-term implications for spending

The paper investigates the economic consequences of financial difficulties. A unique quarterly panel dataset from 2004–2011 from Estonia, a euro area country, makes it possible to estimate the quarterly spending response to debt repayment problems on top of the effect of income and indebtedness. The results imply that problems lead to a substantial short-term drop in spending. Although spending recovers after the debt repayment problems are resolved, the increase is smaller than the original decline and spending remains at a lower level than before the problems emerged. An important finding is that the longer the problems last, the more severe the decline in spending is. The results suggest that the experience of debt repayment problems has severe long-term economic implications, a cost that should be taken into account when the consequences of indebtedness are assessed.

     

Correction: What explains the gender gap in wealth? Evidence from administrative data

Review of Economics of the Household -     

What explains the gender gap in wealth? Evidence from administrative data

Review of Economics of the Household - This paper studies the gender gap in net wealth. We use administrative data on wealth that are linked to the Estonian Household Finance and Consumption...