The site lists "unemployment, foreclosures, loss of investments and other financial distress" as "devastating to your emotional and mental well-being."
Depression, anxiety, compulsive behaviors like overeating and excessive gambling, as well as suicide can all be triggered by facing difficult economic problems, according to the guide.
There is currently no national data on recent suicides -- the newest figures, to be released later this month, cover deaths from 2006 -- so, researchers cannot say emphatically that suicides have increased in the past year.
However, suicide rates do historically correlate with downturns in the economy, and there has been an increase in calls to prevention hotlines this year, said Dr. Paula Clayton, the medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Clayton said that 90 percent of people who commit suicide displayed symptoms of diagnosable mental disorders before killing themselves. But she said a singular life-changing event, like losing one's home, job or personal finances, could lead down the dark path to suicide.
"There is a link between mental disorders and suicide. The most common disorder is depression and a life-changing event can trigger depression at any age," she said. "Lots of people lose their jobs and get depressed -- that's normal. But then, they bounce back. Other people, though, don't just bounce back," she said.
Both Clayton and the government guide identify persistent feelings of sadness, lack of sleep, increased use of alcohol or drugs, anger and apathy as symptoms of mental illness.
"Some people experience a profound change in behavior. They feel deeply unmotivated, don't go look for new jobs and stay at home. They eat more or less than normal and they can't sleep properly. They lose focus and can't concentrate or work to get their resume in order. And they need help," Clayton said.
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