Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Ella Arensman, University College of Cork,
- Second opponent: Professor Kjetil A. van der Wel, Oslo Metropolitan University,
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate Professor Cecilie Dahl, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor II Stig Tore Bogstrand, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Anne Reneflot, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Summary
Individuals dying by suicide form a heterogenous group in terms of labor market attachment. About half have low labor market attachment and receive welfare benefits at the time of death. Still, a substantial part of those who die by suicide has high labor market attachment.
This thesis explores the relationship between labor market attachment and suicide among the adult population of Norway. The thesis provides a comprehensive investigation by using population-wide Norwegian administrative register data. Utilizing event history analysis, differences in suicide risk between the employed and non-employed are calculated. Patterns of healthcare usage prior to suicide stratified by socioeconomic status is assessed through chi square tests for association. Labor market trajectories the decade prior to suicide are identified by using group-based trajectory modelling.
The non-employed have higher suicide risk than the employed. There are various labor market trajectories into non-employment. Some have continuously low labor market attachment, while others have declining or fleeting labor market attachment before receiving welfare benefits at the time of death. Those with high labor market attachment maintains this position almost the entire decade prior to suicide. This group is particularly overrepresented by men. The gender balance is more even among those with low labor market attachment.
Women utilize healthcare services to a greater extent than men, regardless of socioeconomic status. Those with higher education have higher mental healthcare usage the last year and month prior to suicide.
Employed men, especially with high income, have low levels of healthcare utilization prior to suicide. For this group, suicide prevention in the workplace could be valuable.
Increasing labor market attachment can have suicide preventive results for some individuals. For those unable to work, the social support and financial situation should be at a level enabling a life worth living.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.