An Exploration of the Labor, Financial, and Economic Factors Related to Suicide in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The Republic of Kazakhstan has one of the world’s highest suicide rates. A detailed study of the risk factors for suicide in that country is therefore important. We investigated country-wide statistics related to labor, financial, and economic factors and whether any of these factors contribute to the risk of suicide in Kazakhstan. Using the 20 year period from 2000 to 2019, we examined the annual suicide rates overall (all citizens) and for males and females in Kazakhstan, annual unemployment rates, annual rates of increase in the country’s consumer price index, annual total exports, and annual total imports. We then calculated the correlations between the suicide rates and these four items. We also performed a multiple regression analysis of the relationship between the suicide rate and those four items. The results of these analyses indicated that the unemployment rate was the correlation coefficient most highly correlated with the suicide rate; unemployment was significantly related to suicide and should be targeted as a risk factor in suicide prevention interventions in Kazakhstan. With this in mind, organizations, government agencies, and professionals in relevant fields need to devise and implement suicide prevention measures.