Skip to main content

Story: Suicide

Unemployment and youth suicide

Image
Unemployment and youth suicide

As levels of unemployment rose in the late 1980s and early 1990s, commentators suggested that this was one factor in the rising rate of youth suicide. Frank Greenall's cartoon comments on this suggestion. However, closer examination of the evidence showed that it was not possible to explain the rise in youth suicide rates precisely in such terms. It was more likely due to the broader social impact of economic difficulties on family and personal relationships.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: H-042-002

by Frank Greenall

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Jock Phillips, Suicide – Social factors and suicide, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/cartoon/26432/unemployment-and-youth-suicide (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jock Phillips, published 31 March 2011, reviewed and revised 16 July 2019 with assistance from Rosemary Du Plessis.