Protecting public mental health during an economic crisis

Economic crises are significantly related with increases in suicide rates and incidences of mental disorders; however, public mental health does not deteriorate in all countries during crises. Previous studies have examined the factors that protect populations from deteriorating mental health during an economic crisis, but the efficacy of these potential solutions has yet to be established. This paper examines the differences in government responses across countries to determine what response or combination of responses is most effective in protecting or improving the population’s mental health during an economic crisis. My findings in this paper can be applicable to countries that are currently experiencing economic contraction, or countries with high unemployment and can inform governments on how to best protect or prevent deterioration of public mental health during future economic crises.