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

Abstract

Abstract Introduction. 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 strive 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 and identified factors that best indicate the availability and funding of health care. We used hierarchical linear regression to predict suicide rates in the EU. We included data from 2011 to 2019, the latest fully published. Results. Our model demonstrated exceptional explanatory power, accounting for 24.8 % of the suicide rate variance within EU states. A significant protective effect was found between the number of psychiatrists (β = -.36), the percentage of inhabitants self-reporting fully met medical examination needs (β = -.15) and the suicide rate. Contrary to our expectation, the number of GPs (β = .37) and beds in psychiatry hospitals (β = .43) had a positive effect on the suicide rate. Conclusions. While our study is exploratory it might serve as a basis for policies aiming to lower suicide rates in European countries by enhancing access to and funding of healthcare.