American journal of epidemiology
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The recent economic recession has led to increases in suicide, but whether US state unemployment insurance programs ameliorate this association has not been examined. Exploiting US state variations in the generosity of benefit programs between 1968 and 2008, we tested the hypothesis that more generous unemployment benefit programs reduce the impact of economic downturns on suicide. ⋯ The finding of a negative additive interaction was robust across multiple model specifications. Our results suggest that the impact of unemployment rates on suicide is offset by the presence of generous state unemployment benefit programs, though estimated effects are small in magnitude.
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Comment
Invited commentary: are there unrealized benefits of unemployment insurance among the employed?
Political statements about the relationship between the economy and health intensify during economic downturns and fade in times of prosperity. Population health researchers share this cyclical interest in that the numbers of peer-reviewed publications on this topic increase during and immediately after recessions. ⋯ In this commentary, I assess the internal validity of their analysis, call into question some assumptions of their approach, and place their contribution within the context of the broader literature. I then argue that population-based and individual-based approaches in the "economy and health" field often work in concert to create knowledge and inform policy-makers.