Medicaid expansion is associated with a reduction in suicide deaths among nonelderly adults, according to a new study published in American Journal of Epidemiology.
Authors of this study include Dr. Anna Austin and Dr. Rebecca Naumann, Core Faculty at IPRC, and Dr. Nicole Short, faculty in the UNC School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology.
Using 2005-2017 data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, the authors analyzed the annual suicide rate per 100,000 population in eight Medicaid expansion and seven non-expansion states. They used a difference-in-differences approach to compare differences in suicide rates pre- and post-Medicaid expansion between states that did and did not expand Medicaid. They also conducted several subgroup analyses to examine the association of Medicaid expansion with suicide rates by certain demographic variables.
Dr. Anna Austin; Lead author and core faculty at UNC IPRC
From 2005-2017, the average annual suicide rate was slightly lower in expansion states compared to non-expansion states (17.0 vs. 18.7 per 100,000 nonelderly adults). The subgroup analyses found that Medicaid expansion was associated with fewer suicide deaths among women, men, those 30-44 years, white, non-Hispanic individuals, and those without a college degree. Although suicide deaths increased in both Medicaid and non-Medicaid expansion states from pre-to post-expansion, there was a smaller increase in the suicide rate in the post-expansion period in Medicaid expansion states.
Dr. Rebecca Naumann; Co-author and core faculty at UNC IPRC
These results suggest that Medicaid expansion is an important component of a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy. However, given the findings that Medicaid expansion was only associated with fewer suicide deaths among white and non-Hispanic populations, more research on the inequities of expansion benefits is needed.
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