The following is a summary of “Association between insurance type and suicide-related behavior among US adults: The impact of the Affordable Care Act,” published in the March 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Cho et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the correlation between insurance type and instances of suicidal thoughts and actions among American adults, with a focus on the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enactment.
They studied nationally accessible surveys of adults aged 18 and above, sourced from the 2010-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Additionally, they compared the rates of suicidal ideation and attempts across various insurance categories before and after the ACA rollout.
The results showed higher chances of suicidal thoughts and attempts within the Medicaid and uninsured group in comparison to their privately insured counterparts. However, after the ACA implementation, difference-in-differences analysis revealed a notably diminished risk of suicide among the Medicare demographic compared to those privately insured, without any significant difference among the uninsured.
Investigators concluded that access to mental health services needs to be improved, particularly for those with limited insurance coverage, such as Medicaid and Medicare recipients.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178124000027