Convergence in suicide rates in FSU countries: a clustering approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper aims at identifying convergence clubs in suicide rates for a sample of 20 of FSU countries during the 1994–2016 period. A novel machine learning approach revels that while the null hypothesis of overall convergence has been rejected at the 5% significance level, there are four convergence clubs in the region. Within these clubs, different countries are on different transition paths and speeds of convergence, suggesting different policy interventions.