The rise in suicide rates was larger than the researchers expected and exceeded those seen in earlier recessions, says the lead author, David Stuckler, Ph.

CNN: European suicides spiked during economic crisis

Stuckler and his team are now exploring those country-by-country variances, and whether a country's investment in social safety-net programs is related to how closely the suicide rate mirrors the unemployment rate.

CNN: European suicides spiked during economic crisis

If there's a silver lining to Stuckler's findings, it's that a drop in traffic deaths appears to have canceled out the impact of the added suicides on the overall mortality rate of the countries.

CNN: European suicides spiked during economic crisis

One possibility, Stuckler says, may be that as more people compete for fewer jobs, growing feelings of hopelessness among the unemployed could push some people into suicidal thinking and behavior, especially those who are already at risk.

CNN: European suicides spiked during economic crisis

And another study led by Stuckler found that in Finland, where there is a long tradition of such programs, suicide rates increased by little to none during the recessions of the early 90s and in the past few years.

CNN: European suicides spiked during economic crisis