For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests • Hacker News Board

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#81

Post by rjkennedy98 » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:32 PM UTC

codingslave wrote: post #12

Really doubt this. Instead I would look into the connection between anti depressants/anti psychotics and suicide. There's research of strong connections, but immunity is claimed by the drug companies, "because they were already depressed/mentally unhealthy when put on the drugs". Mental health professionals and managers at large drug companies need to start going to jail for over-prescribing psychiatric drugs. The ne…

I couldn't agree with you more. Its sad that so many people have dismissed this possibility out of hand. Even the FDA agrees that there is a risk (which is why there are black box labels on antidepressants).

There are also many cases of drug companies going to court and losing over suicides and murder-suicides. Leaks during those trials have shown horrible cover ups such as Study 329.

The whole thing is really is too horrible to imagine. The idea that we could give drugs to people making them want to kill themselves, which I think is why so many people don't want to believe it could be true.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#82

Post by kangnkodos » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:32 PM UTC

tempsy wrote: post #29

degenerate wrote: post #18

Does anyone have access to the paper? Raising the minimum wage means less jobs will be available, as employers cut costs and perform layoffs. My assumption is the paper neglects to factors this into their analysis, but if they do, I'd love to read it. edit: paper shared below!

please read any study on cities that have substantially raised min wage in recent years (like Seattle) and understand how wrong you are about there being "fewer jobs" as a result before making such ridiculous statements

The Seattle study was done during a time period when the economy of the city was going up significantly. The authors write in the paper that it's possible that if the minimum wage was not raised, it could have resulted in even more people employed.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#83

Post by Ohn0 » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:33 PM UTC

tempsy wrote: post #16

cartercole wrote: post #11

The minimum wage should be 0 - sincerely any good economist

it might as well be - "gig" work is not bound by min wage laws. ask an instacart worker how that's worked out for them.

lol the minimum / livable wage is just another joke in lawmaking with vast loopholes.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#84

Post by everly » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:33 PM UTC

austincheney wrote: post #54

leetcrew wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

my guess is an effective system of healthcare and/or UBI would decrease the suicide rate somewhat, because people wouldn't feel so helpless. I'm not sure that max wage algorithm creates a healthy incentive though. it would seem to encourage hiring more employees than necessary just to increase the executive's compensation. I think people can often tell when their job isn't really necessary and it probably doesn't fee…

Suicidal ideation is a mental health illness. Financial desperation is stressful, but that stress is not an indication of mental health distress. I don’t see these two things as having any correlation and I am not aware of any related evidence adjoining those two. If finances are a factor in suicidal ideation then it’s a secondary consideration in addition to more prominent concerns.

I find it hard to believe that you can’t see any correlation but here you go:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24121465/

https://www.allure.com/story/suicide-debt-link

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#85

Post by lazyasciiart » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:33 PM UTC

theredbox wrote: post #63

lazyasciiart wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mmm, seems like a stretch to blame problems in Eastern Europe on the belief in a safety net - Western Europe/Scandinavia also believes in a safety net but doesn't have the same problems.

What makes you think it does not ? It is just on a different scale.

Sure, in that case so is the US and everywhere else, which means the social safety net is completely irrelevant.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#86

Post by henryfjordan » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:34 PM UTC

anonuser123456 wrote: post #65

falcolas wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... who would never work for 0 themselves, even though their own work arguably provides little tangible value.

Exactly. People won't work for less than their worth. So a minimum wage doesn't accomplish much except set a price floor that excludes low value add workers from the economy.

If you were starving and I offered you a job washing dishes for $2/hour, would you take it to be able to afford some rice+beans tonight or would you rather not eat tonight? You're worth more than $2/hour.

We need minimum wage laws to protect people from being crunched by capitalists exploiting labor market inefficiencies.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#87

Post by sdegutis » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:34 PM UTC

ngngngng wrote: post #4

I was reading the other day that typically mass shootings happen during a recession, and right now is a confusing time because the economy is supposedly doing fantastic, yet we keep having mass shootings. Could this have to do with the mounting inequality? It seems the standard indicators for the health of the economy are breaking because wealth just keeps pooling near the top. So what this study could be saying is,…

Fulton Sheen says that to stop violence, we need to resort to violence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHaizmIj3ck&t=2000s

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#88

Post by theredbox » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:37 PM UTC

I always thought about more of a hybrid model for the US. Something like a market socialism a la Singapore.

I would try to commoditize housing,healthcare and food. It would be essential to make sure that these fundamental needs of people working for minimum wage are take care of.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#89

Post by ceejayoz » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:37 PM UTC

simonsarris wrote: post #59

0000011111 wrote: post #47

I see income inequality as a key issue here. I recently read the "Triumph of injustice" and came away with a changed view in our tax system. After reading the book, I now believe that any household with a net worth over $100 million should be subject to both an income and capital gains tax of 99%. In short folks with income come and or net worth at levels that surpass their ability to buy a life of finical security f…

I suggest you look at current income figures and try to come up with a plan where juicing the rich works. There's a reason Germany's 42% tax bracket starts at... €55,961 If you want to pay for these things, you need to bring your idea of who's gonna get taxed way, way down to earth.

> There's a reason Germany's 42% tax bracket starts at... €55,961

Oooh, is the reason "because a lot of services are publicly delivered instead of privately", because I'll bet it is.

I pay $30k/year for private healthcare here in the US; a $2200/month premium and an annual out-of-pocket of $4k.

I'd happily accept a 10% tax hike to make that go away, and that doesn't even account for my kids' eventual college costs...

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#90

Post by notadoc » Thu, Jan 09, 2020, 8:38 PM UTC

Not too surprising. Suicide is a death of despair, which are closely linked to job loss, income loss, love loss, family loss, pain, etc. Easing any of those scenarios should help reduce suicide.