The Influence of Regional Migration on Suicides in Russia

In 2023 the World Health Organization reported that a global annual suicide rate of 700,000, with a majority occurring in low-to-middle income countries. Russia is among the top ten countries for suicide rates. Research on the impact of migration on suicide rates among those who remain in the places from which people migrate is rare in the literature. This paper explores this relationship, investigating whether migration, by disrupting social ties, can lead to mental health problems and increased suicide rates in the "abandoned" areas. The aim of the study is to understand the effect of regional migration on suicide rates. Data from Rosstat and the Center for Demographic Research of the New Economic School were analyzed using multiple linear regression with the fixed effects of time and region. The findings suggest that while migration by itself reduces suicide rates, when considered in conjunction with factors such as the aging of the population in the regions from which one migrates, it may increase suicide rates.