Is the looming threat of an economic depression making you feel like you need a little Prozac for your oncoming depression? Well, it’s clear that a person’s health is going to be affected in one way or another by the economy, but apparently, the ways that this happens are not always according to expectations. The information that medical authorities have on the influences the economic downturn has on an individual’s health are mixed, rather than singularly bad as many expected.
While long-term economic benefits are clearly a good thing for one’s health, since you have one less thing to worry about, it may not necessarily mean that the opposite is true. It would appear that one’s health during an economic slump can depend largely on what one’s health habits were during better times. Unfortunately, nearly all studies indicate that people have this tendency not to take care of themselves while times are good – drinking far too much, notably before driving, is a common problem. Other problems include eating fat-laden meals at restaurants, skipping exercise when possible, and ignoring appointments with doctors because of other commitments, or just plain laziness.
This, according to medical experts from Stanford University, is because people place a much higher value on their time when the economy is strong. People tend to work more and allocate less time to the things that are better for their health than they ought to, such as cooking and eating at home, or exercising. Stress is also much worse during times of economic strength and booms, where the rigors of hard work tend to become crushing forces very quickly. So it isn’t surprising that those with jobs that are at risk of being terminated become part of the Prozac crowd pretty quickly.
Still, that doesn’t mean that healthy people during good times will remain healthy during bad ones. It merely means that their habits, if continued, would help keep their bodies in good physical shape during the economic dip. The downturn can still have a toll on factors that are not quite controlled by people, such as mental health and accessibility of health care facilities. For example, cancer deaths are expected to increase by up to 23%, while deaths caused by conditions such as flu and pneumonia only increase slightly. Suicides have so far increased by 2%, though that number may rise. In contrast, homicides have increased by 12%.
However, there are experts that believe the real issue during an economic crisis is not related to jobs or income, but whether or not there would be adequate safety nets to attend to the health care of those who have lost their jobs and insurance to the crisis.
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