Suicide rate and time use in daily life and leisure

Abstract

© 2019 Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. In this paper we test the hypothetical dependence between the suicide rate and the use of time in personal life (household, personal care and leisure activities) in the countries, including Russia, with relatively stable social situation, in which the suicide rate equals or is higher than the average (11 suicides per 100,000 of the population). In order to carry out nonparametric statistical analysis we used the data pool of time budget from 17 OECD countries. The research revealed that the suicide rate decreases when people spend their time taking care of the members of their families, participating in cultural events and volunteering. We offer a list of general recommendations meant to optimize the structure and duration of positive activities aimed at the reduction of suicides. We found an interrelation between the suicide rate and the use of time in 7 subjects of the Russian Federation. The paper also highlights the suicide reduction factors in Russia including the improvement of physical recreation (sleep and relaxation), as well as extension of outdoor activities, mainly due to the raise in the living standards of the population. The research offers encouraging prospects for further integrated studies of suicide tendencies influenced by everyday activities (work, routine and leisure).