Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2014 | Page 138
EDUCATION
Suicide rates soar as economy cuts bite
t: 023 9284 4888
T
he effect of economic cuts
on debt-ravaged Greece
included a dramatic rise
in the number of men
committing suicide, according to
new research.
The research, by Dr Nikolaos
Antonakakis and Professor
Alan Collins at the University of
Portsmouth’s Business School,
is the first to examine the direct
impact of fiscal austerity on suicide
rates. The economists are calling
for Governments to find ways of
stopping people being broken by
harsh economic cuts.
According to the research,
published in ‘Social Science and
Medicine’, 551 men committed
suicide between 2009 and 2010 in
Greece solely due to fiscal austerity.
Dr Antonakakis said: “We were
surprised, this is a huge number,
but the results were very clear
– more men commit suicide as
economic conditions worsen.
“Interestingly, the effects of fiscal
austerity and economic growth are
gender-specific, with no obvious
rise in the number of women
committing suicide.”
Men aged 45 to 89 are the most
likely to commit suicide in response
to harsh economic cuts because
they are most likely to suffer drastic
cuts to their salaries and pensions.
The outlook for Greece in the
short to medium term does not
look encouraging. Dr Antonakakis
said: “The situation in Greece is
improving and the country recently
returned to the bond markets to get
self-financed for the first time since it
needed international rescue loans in
2010. However, the road is still very
steep. Unemployment is at 27 per
cent and the country’s debt is still at
an unsustainable 170 per cent.”
e: [email protected]
Nikolaos Antonakakis
RIWAS funding offers important support
t: 08452 269098
T
he Royal IW Agricultural Society
Rural Careers Fund offers
financial support to people aged
under 25 - and occasionally older. The
scheme is intended to add value to the
Isle of Wight's farming and land-based
industries by offering financial support
to help young people gain relevant
qualifications or skills.
There are two categories of award from
the fund:
• Scholarships of up to £3,000 each are
awarded annually.
• Bursaries of up to £200 which are
considered regularly throughout the year.
Applicants should generally be under
25 years old, but exceptionally an older
candidate may be accepted. Successful
138
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applicants will be Island residents, or
have a strong Island connection, and their
award will be in some way bring added
value to the Island. Previous applicants
are welcome to reapply for an award,
whether or not they have been successful
in the past.
The awards are for people who want to
develop their skills within agriculture
e: [email protected]
or land-based and related industries.
This could include full-time study,
short courses, or broader vocational
development. Travel costs alone will
rarely be the basis of a successful award,
although may form an element of it.
Awards will not normally be made
to support second degrees or other
post-graduate study.
Scholarship applications should be
received by July 31 and there will be
interviews during August. Award winners
will be notified by August 31. An offer
may be conditional, for example on
the applicant being offered a place at a
college or achieving certain grades.
Anyone interested in finding out more
about the RIWAS Rural Careers Fund,
Tel - 0845 226 9098 or visit riwas@
naturalenterprise.co.uk