The effect of unemployment on suicidal ideation among men
Evidence from Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22075324 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrew R Timming (0000-0001-8773-8873, Alfaisal University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Pages | 1544151-1544151 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1544151 |
| PMID | 41800322 |
| OpenAlex | W7130525050 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic presented governments with unprecedented choices that had to be made under conditions of imperfect information. One of the key trade-offs pertains to decision-making around social distancing mandates to reduce the risk of infection, resulting in high levels of joblessness. Against this backdrop, the present study examines the relationship between COVID-19-related job loss and suicidal ideation among Australian men. Methods: = 963. A large number of control variables were introduced sequentially to address endogeneity and prevent omitted variable bias. Results: COVID-19-related job loss in Australia is significantly associated with suicidal ideation in our full model. Men who were made unemployed during the pandemic were 2.77 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than men who remained in employment. Conclusion: These odds are much higher than meta-analytic evidence of the relationship between pre-COVID-19 unemployment and suicidal ideation, suggesting that unemployed Australian men experienced high levels of suicidal thoughts during the pandemic. The Australian Government's wage subsidy program, JobKeeper, may have provided a financial social safety net, but our research suggests, uniquely, that it was the loss of work relationships, not the loss of income, that is the main concern. Work, for men, is not just a paycheck; it is a source of meaning and provides a purpose in life
Endogeneity · Logistic regression · Odds · Pandemic · Poison control · Suicidal ideation · Suicide prevention · Unemployment · Wage · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Employment and Welfare Studies · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
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Explaining the homogeneous diffusion of Covid-19 nonpharmaceutical interventions across heterogeneous countries
Suicide risk and prevention during the Covid-19 pandemic
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Real estimates of mortality following Covid-19 infection
Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the Covid-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020
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The Gender Paradox
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Changes in Suicide Rate and Characteristics According to Age of Suicide Attempters before and after Covid-19
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Socio-Economic Position and Suicidal Ideation in Men
The Australian longitudinal study on male health-methods
Domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic - Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis
Living Alone and Suicide Risk in the United States, 2008‒2019
An Investigation into the Cross-Cultural Equivalence of the Personal Wellbeing Index
A cure worse than the disease? Exploring the health-economy trade-off during Covid-19
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |