Societal Economic Costs and Benefits from Death: Another Look

Autor/in	Stack, Steven
Titel	Societal Economic Costs and Benefits from Death: Another Look
Quelle	In: Death Studies, 31 (2007) 4, S.363-372 (10 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0748-1187
DOI	10.1080/07481180601187217
Schlagwörter	Medical Services; Employment Level; Employment Opportunities; Costs; Suicide; Social Networks; Nurses; Job Development; Grief; Mental Health Programs; Economic Factors; Cancer; Diseases; Socioeconomic Influences; Economic Impact; Disease Incidence; Mortality Rate; Social Isolation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Arzt; Beschäftigungsgrad; Berufschance; Beschäftigungschance; Cost; Kosten; Selbstmord; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Trauer; Ökonomischer Faktor; Carcinoma; Karzinom; Krebs (med); Krebserkrankung; Disease; Krankheit; Sozioökonomischer Faktor; Ökonomische Determinanten; Mortalitätsrate; Soziale Isolation
Abstract	B. Yang and D. Lester (2007) have produced an innovative contribution to the relevant literature. Unlike previous studies, they incorporate estimates of cost savings from suicide. Their argument could be strengthened in 3 ways. First, they may have underestimated some of the cost savings by relying on inflated estimates of mental health usage by suicidal persons. The present analysis shows that only 20% of suicidal individuals see a mental health professional during the last year of life, much lower than previous estimates. Further, persons dying of cancer are 4 times more likely than suicides to report high usage of medical services. Second, our economy relies heavily on the health care sector for job creation, so that we need to exercise caution in interpreting savings in medical care; such savings may also represent costs in employment opportunities for nurses, doctors, and other medical personnel. Third, an anticipated criticism, the costs of the grieving of significant others, needs to be considered. Suicidal persons are shown to have less dense social networks, a sign of fewer potential grievers than in the case of natural deaths. Future work is needed to adjust lost earnings for the lower occupational status of suicides; this is another reason why Yang and Lester may be underestimating cost savings from suicide. (Contains 3 tables.) (Author).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10