Impact of Healthcare Accessibility on Suicide Rates in the European Union: A Cross-Sectional Correlation Study

Abstract

Abstract Background. Suicide is a global and devastating phenomenon with severe society-wide consequences. One of the fundamental goals of researchers, policymakers, and health and social service professionals is to predict suicidal behaviour and prevent it. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the accessibility of healthcare, its financing by the state and the suicide rate in the states of the European Union. We aim to identify which part of the healthcare system, or the interplay between them, is critical to suicide prevention. Methods. We used freely available data from Eurostat, the statistical agency of the European Union, which processes and freely publishes demographic, economic, and social data from all European Union states. From the available data, we identified those that best indicate the availability and funding of health care in each state. These are the following factors: number of psychiatrists, number of general practitioners, length of psychiatric hospitalisation, number of psychiatric beds, unmet medical needs of citizens, government funding of healthcare and suicide rate. We included data from 2011 to 2019, the latest fully published datasets at the time of this study's writing. Results. Our statistical model demonstrated exceptional explanatory power, accounting for 25% of the suicide rate variance within European Union states, a substantial number for a phenomenon as complex as suicide. A significantly protective effect was found between the number of psychiatrists, percentage of inhabitants self-reporting fully met medical examination needs and suicide rate. Notably, the reported met medical needs can serve as an indirect yet significant indicator of the accessibility and quality of a healthcare system. Moreover, the significant positive effect between reported unmet medical needs and the suicide rate highlights the profound impact of healthcare accessibility on overall well-being and mental health. Conclusions. Our findings might serve as a basis for policies aiming to lower suicide rates in European countries by enhancing access to and funding of healthcare. We consider it crucial that interventions trying to reduce suicide rates focus not only on the quantity of resources and personnel that go into the healthcare system but also on their education, supervision, and care for their own physical and mental health.