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The New Welfare Measures

Author

Listed:
  • D.P. Doessel

    (School of History, Philosophy, Religion & Classics)

  • Ruth F.G. Williams

    (School of Economics, La Trobe University)

Abstract

This paper provides an exposition of the concepts relevant to measuring the economic effect of suicide and the conception of how the social loss from suicide can be incorporated into social welfare measurement. Suicide may perform a “warning” function of immanent societal problems. If so, then its impact must be measured. None of the conventional welfare measures currently pick up this “canary in a coalmine” type of signal.

Suggested Citation

  • D.P. Doessel & Ruth F.G. Williams, 2012. "The New Welfare Measures," Working Papers 2012.07, School of Economics, La Trobe University.
    • Handle: RePEc:trb:wpaper:2012.07
    Note: ISSN-1837-2198
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    national accounting; welfare measurement; economic effect of suicide; social welfare; social loss; economic value of longevity EDIRC Provider-Institution: RePEc:edi:sblatau;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I19 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Other

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