An Antidote for Despair

Hasan Shahid

American Journal of Health Economics, 2026, vol. 12, issue 1, 63 - 91

Abstract: The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1995 transformed the prognosis of an HIV infection from a death sentence to a manageable chronic health condition. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, this paper exploits spatial variation in HIV/AIDS incidence at the time HAART treatment was introduced and finds that, in addition to reducing HIV/AIDS deaths, the introduction of HAART led to a disproportionate decrease in suicide rates for groups most affected by the virus. Estimates suggest that HAART saved approximately 756 men aged 25 to 44 from suicide each year following its introduction.

Date: 2026
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