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Dubé G, Legault R, Dorfman A, Stolle D, Pelletier-Dumas M, de la Sablonnière R, Lacourse É. Evidence of higher suicidal ideation among young adults in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18315. [PMID: 39112543 PMCID: PMC11306367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68823-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In this national study, we analyzed population-level data from a representative longitudinal survey to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal ideation rates. Between April and May 2021, responses from 1793 adults aged 20 and older were collected regarding suicidal ideation. Our analysis revealed a significant increase in suicidal ideation during the pandemic's first year, with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 7.6%-nearly three times the pre-pandemic rate of 2.7%. Young adults, particularly those between 20 and 29 years of age, had a higher incidence of suicidal ideation (10.9%) in contrast to those aged 30 and older (6.6%). Furthermore, 21.4% of young adults aged 20 to 29 reported having experienced suicidal ideation at some point in their lives, compared to 13.1% among adults aged 30 and older, indicating a heightened susceptibility to suicidal ideation in this age group. Using multinomial logistic regression, the study identified factors like younger age and job loss due to COVID-19 as contributors to suicidal ideation with other sociodemographic variables, presenting new insights in the scientific literature. Job loss contribution was independent of the age effect. The study highlights a significant increase in suicidal ideation during the pandemic, particularly among young adults, emphasizing the need for targeted mental health interventions and prioritizing their well-being for future public health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Dubé
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal School of Public Health, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Robin Legault
- Operations Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anna Dorfman
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dietlind Stolle
- Department of Political Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Éric Lacourse
- Department of Sociology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Lantos T, Nyári TA. The impact of the first year of COVID-19 pandemic on suicides in a collection of 27 EU-related countries. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17671. [PMID: 39085389 PMCID: PMC11291984 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68604-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Disasters, including epidemics, have a characteristic course, both in terms of the specific events and the human reactions to them. However, it is difficult to predict whether the COVID-19 pandemic will eventually lead to an increase in suicide rates. We aimed to provide a general pattern of the change in suicide rates in the countries linked to the European Union by direct comparison of the years 2019 and 2020 by gender and age group, grouped according to the predominant religions. Overall, 27 countries were included in the analysis. Incidence rate ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to characterise annual changes in the incidence of suicide deaths. In almost two-thirds of the countries studied, suicide rates did not increase. The largest increases were observed in Catholic-majority and 'mixed' Catholic-Protestant countries, but this was significant only for the oldest age group (over 65 years). This increase was even more marked within some Catholic-majority countries (Hungary, Ireland, and Spain) during the first months of the pandemic. There was no statistically significant increase overall in the suicide death rates in Europe. However, the pattern of suicide rates has changed significantly in some countries, and by age group and religion, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Lantos
- Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 9 Korányi Alley, Szeged, 6720, Hungary.
| | - Tibor András Nyári
- Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 9 Korányi Alley, Szeged, 6720, Hungary
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3
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Oliva V, Roberto N, Andreo-Jover J, Bobes T, Canal Rivero M, Cebriá A, Crespo-Facorro B, de la Torre-Luque A, Díaz-Marsá M, Elices M, Fernández-Rodrigues V, Gonzalez-Pinto A, Palao Tarrero A, Pérez-Diez I, Rodríguez-Vega B, Ruiz-Veguilla M, Saiz PA, Seijo-Zazo E, Toll-Privat A, McIntyre RS, Vieta E, Grande I, Pérez-Solà V. Anxious and depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in a cohort of people who recently attempted suicide: A network analysis. J Affect Disord 2024; 355:210-219. [PMID: 38548208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide is an international health concern with immeasurable impact from the perspective of human and social suffering. Prior suicide attempts, anxious and depressive symptoms, and relatively lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are among the most replicated risk factors for suicide. Our goal was to visualize the distribution of these features and their interconnections with use of a network analysis approach in individuals who recently attempted suicide. METHODS Individuals with a recent suicide attempt were recruited from nine University Hospitals across Spain as part of the SURVIVE cohort study. Anxious and depressive symptoms, and perceived HRQoL were included in the network analysis. Network structures were estimated with the EBICglasso model. Centrality measures and bridge symptoms connecting communities were explored. Subnetworks comparing younger and older individuals, and women and men were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 1106 individuals with a recent suicide attempt were included. Depressed mood was the symptom with the greatest influence in the overall network, followed by anxiety symptoms such as feeling nervous, worrying, restless, and having difficulties to relax. Perceived general health was associated with increased suicidal ideation in the whole sample. Older people showed a specific connection between perceived general health and depressed mood. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional design does not allow determination of established causality. CONCLUSIONS Depressed mood was the core network's symptom and, therefore, an important target in the management and prevention of suicide. HRQoL had more influence on the network of older populations, in which it should be a primary focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Oliva
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), c. Casanova, 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Natalia Roberto
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), c. Casanova, 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Andreo-Jover
- Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Madrid 2, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Bobes
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Spain; Mental Health Services of the Principality of Asturias (SESPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Manuel Canal Rivero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Virgen del Rocio de Sevilla, Spain; IBIS, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Anabel Cebriá
- Mental Health Department, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Area, Institut d'Investigació I Innovació ParcTaulí (I3PT), Sabadell, Spain
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Virgen del Rocio de Sevilla, Spain; IBIS, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alejandro de la Torre-Luque
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Díaz-Marsá
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matilde Elices
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addicions, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Ana Gonzalez-Pinto
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Universitario Araba-Santiago, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Bioaraba, Universidad del País Vasco, Spain
| | - Angela Palao Tarrero
- Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Madrid 2, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Iván Pérez-Diez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Rodríguez-Vega
- Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Madrid 2, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ruiz-Veguilla
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Virgen del Rocio de Sevilla, Spain; IBIS, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Pilar A Saiz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Spain; Mental Health Services of the Principality of Asturias (SESPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Elisa Seijo-Zazo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Spain; Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Spain; Mental Health Services of the Principality of Asturias (SESPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Alba Toll-Privat
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addicions, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger S McIntyre
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 2S8, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, Toronto, ON M5S 1M2, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), c. Casanova, 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Iria Grande
- Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), c. Casanova, 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), c. Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Víctor Pérez-Solà
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, (IMIM), Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
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Chen CY, Wang WJ, Wu CS, Wang SC, Chang WC, Hung MC. Tannic acids and proanthocyanidins in tea inhibit SARS-CoV-2 variants infection. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:2555-2569. [PMID: 38859869 PMCID: PMC11162682 DOI: 10.62347/qjbg3026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused hundreds million cases and millions death as well as continues to infect human life in the world since late of 2019. The breakthrough infection caused from mutation of SARS-CoV-2 is rising even the vaccinated population has been increasing. Currently, the severe threat posed by SARS-CoV-2 has been alleviated worldwide, and the situation has transitioned to coexisting with the virus. The dietary food with antiviral activities may improve to prevent virus infection for living with COVID-19 pandemic. Teas containing enriched phenolic ingredients such as tannins have been reported to be antitumor agents as well as be good inhibitors for coronavirus. This study developed a highly sensitive and selective ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometric method for quantification of tannic acids, a hydrolysable tannin, and proanthocyanidins, a condense tannin, in teas with different levels of fermentation. The in vitro pseudoviral particles (Vpp) infection assay was used to evaluate the inhibition activities of various teas. The results of current research demonstrate that the tannins in teas are effective inhibitors against infection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Yu Chen
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Jan Wang
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Shiou Wu
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Chun Wang
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology, Asia UniversityTaichung 413305, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chao Chang
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical UniversityTaichung 406040, Taiwan
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5
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Kursner S, Studer J, Fracasso T, Weber G, Michaud L. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Unassisted Suicide and Assisted Suicide Rates in French-Speaking Switzerland: Differences by Gender. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2024:302228241248683. [PMID: 38652705 DOI: 10.1177/00302228241248683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Aims: Most studies on the impact of COVID-19 have shown a decrease or no change in unassisted suicide rates, but effects on assisted suicide have not been studied. We aimed to estimate the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and both types of suicide. Methods: Between 2017 and 2021, 1280 assisted suicides and 535 unassisted suicides were recorded in three Swiss cantons. We conducted descriptive and time series analyses on monthly suicide rates, categorized by gender. Results: Among women, a decrease in assisted suicide rates was found during the acute phases of the pandemic. Among men, assisted suicide rates increased gradually from the onset of the pandemic. Regarding unassisted suicide rates, no significant change was observed in women, while in men, there was a decrease, which was larger at the end than at the onset. Conclusions: COVID-19 had contrasting effects on assisted and unassisted men and women suicide rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kursner
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joseph Studer
- Addiction Medicine and North-West Adult Psychiatry Service, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tony Fracasso
- University Center of Legal Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gerrit Weber
- North-West Adult Psychiatry Service, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Michaud
- Liaison Psychiatry Service, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospitaland University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Leveau CM, Velázquez GA. The COVID-19 pandemic and changes in spatio-temporal patterns of suicide: monthly variations among localities in Argentina. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2024; 31:148-152. [PMID: 37938125 DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2023.2279956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess space-time clustering of suicide in Argentina between 2017 and 2020. A spatio-temporal scan statistic using a space-time permutation model was employed to retrospectively detect clusters of total suicides by sex and by age group. From 2017 to 2020, six statistically significant spatio-temporal clusters were identified in Argentina with either more or less suicides than expected. Two clusters extended from May 2019 to July and September 2020, while the remaining four clusters were detected only during 2020. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have changed the spatio-temporal patterns of suicide in Argentina. Despite the national decrease in the number of suicides during 2020 compared to previous years, the spatio-temporal analysis revealed both areas with decreases and increases in suicide. This heterogeneous scenario highlights the need for the study of local effects behind the emergence of these spatio-temporal suicide clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos M Leveau
- Instituto de Producción, Economía y Trabajo (IPET), Universidad Nacional de Lanús, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tandil, Argentina
| | - Guillermo A Velázquez
- Instituto de Geografía, Historia y Ciencias Sociales, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Argentina
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7
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Sánchez-Carro Y, de la Torre-Luque A, Díaz-Marsá M, Aguayo-Estremera R, Andreo-Jover J, Ayad-Ahmed W, Bobes J, Bobes-Bascarán T, Bravo-Ortiz MF, Canal-Rivero M, Cebrià AI, Crespo-Facorro B, Elices M, Fernández-Rodrigues V, Lopez-Peña P, Grande I, Palao-Tarrero Á, Pemau A, Roberto N, Ruiz-Veguilla M, Pérez-Solà V. Psychiatric profiles in suicidal attempters: Relationships with suicide behaviour features. SPANISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND MENTAL HEALTH 2024:S2950-2853(24)00011-5. [PMID: 38331321 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpmh.2024.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide constitutes a major health concern worldwide, being a significant contributor of death, globally. The diagnosis of a mental disorder has been extensively linked to the varying forms of suicidal ideation and behaviour. The aim of our study was to identify the varying diagnostic profiles in a sample of suicide attempters. METHODS A sample of 683 adults (71.3% females, 40.10±15.74 years) admitted at a hospital emergency department due to a suicide attempt was recruited. Latent class analysis was used to identify diagnostic profiles and logistic regression to study the relationship between comorbidity profile membership and sociodemographic and clinical variables. RESULTS Two comorbidity profiles were identified (Class I: low comorbidity class, 71.3% of attempters; Class II: high comorbidity class, 28.7% of attempters). Class I members were featured by the diagnosis of depression and general anxiety disorder, and low comorbidity; by contrast, the high comorbidity profile was characterized by a higher probability of presenting two or more coexisting psychiatric disorders. Class II included more females, younger, with more depressive symptoms and with higher impulsivity levels. Moreover, Class II members showed more severe suicidal ideation, higher number of suicide behaviours and a greater number of previous suicide attempts (p<.01, for all the outcomes), compared to Class I members. CONCLUSIONS Psychiatric profiles may be considered for treatment provision and personalized psychiatric treatment in suicidal attempters as well as tackle suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Sánchez-Carro
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marina Díaz-Marsá
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Jorge Andreo-Jover
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Teresa Bobes-Bascarán
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, Spain; Instituto de Neurocias del Principado de Asturias, Spain
| | - María Fé Bravo-Ortiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Canal-Rivero
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; UGC-Salud Mental de Hospital Virgen del Rocío/IBIS Sevilla, Spain; Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; UGC-Salud Mental de Hospital Virgen del Rocío/IBIS Sevilla, Spain; Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Matilde Elices
- Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mediques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Purificacion Lopez-Peña
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Department Psychiatry, Hospital Universitario Alava, Bioaraba, UPV/EHU, Osakidetza, Spain
| | - Iría Grande
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Spain
| | - Ángela Palao-Tarrero
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Hospital La Paz Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology and Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés Pemau
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Roberto
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospìtal Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Spain
| | - Miguel Ruiz-Veguilla
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; UGC-Salud Mental de Hospital Virgen del Rocío/IBIS Sevilla, Spain; Universidad de Sevilla, Spain
| | - Víctor Pérez-Solà
- CIBERSAM ISCIII, Madrid, Spain; Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mediques (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Mannix D, Holleran L, Cevikel P, McMorrow C, Nerney D, Phelan S, McDonald C, Hallahan B. A comparison of rate and methods of probable suicide for 2 years pre and post the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ir J Psychol Med 2024:1-6. [PMID: 38229585 DOI: 10.1017/ipm.2023.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine and compare rates and methods of probable suicide in a Western region of Ireland during a 24 month period since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a similar period immediately prior to the pandemic onset. METHODS Post-mortem reports between March 1st 2018 and February 29th 2020 were reviewed and compared with data from March 1st 2020 to February 28th 2022. Relevant demographic data, rates and methods of probable suicide and lifetime engagement with mental health services were compared across the two time points. RESULTS Identical rates of probable suicide (85 individuals at both time points) were demonstrated with no difference evident in the utilisation of violent compared to non-violent methods. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that despite previous reports of increased rates of self-harm and some evidence of increased mental distress since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, no change in rates of or methods employed by individuals who died by probable suicide were evident in this geographical region.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mannix
- Galway-Roscommon Mental Health Services, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - L Holleran
- Galway-Roscommon Mental Health Services, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - P Cevikel
- Galway-Roscommon Mental Health Services, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - C McMorrow
- Department of Pathology, University College hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - D Nerney
- Department of Pathology, University College hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - S Phelan
- Department of Pathology, University College hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - C McDonald
- Galway-Roscommon Mental Health Services, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
- School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - B Hallahan
- Galway-Roscommon Mental Health Services, University Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland
- School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
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9
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Grande E, Grippo F, Crialesi R, Marchetti S, Frova L. Suicide mortality in Italy during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. J Affect Disord 2023; 339:776-780. [PMID: 37479041 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Italy was severely hit by COVID-19 during 2020 and great concern about the possible increase of suicide rates in the population has arisen since early pandemic phases. Analyses limited to March-April have shown a drop in suicides in both sexes. This study aims to analyze suicide mortality in Italy during the whole 2020 making comparisons with the pre-pandemic period 2015-19, by sex, age and geographic area. METHODS Official cause-of-death data with national coverage were used to analyze suicide mortality by sex, month, age class and geographic area in the population aged ≥10 years (54,595,179). The monthly number of suicide deaths in 2020 was compared to the average number in 2015-19. Age-specific and age-adjusted suicide rates in 2020 and in 2015-19 were compared using rate-ratios with 95 % confidence intervals. RESULTS Compared to 2015-19 a non-significant reduction of the overall suicide rate was observed during 2020, both in males (-3 %) and females (-7 %). Suicide rates non-significantly decreased in most age groups; an increase, although not statistically significant, was found among males aged ≥75 years and females aged ≥85 years. Suicide deaths reduced mainly in Central-Southern areas and the Islands, while they slightly increased in the North especially among males. LIMITATIONS Study limitations include accuracy of death certification and the relatively brief observation period. CONCLUSIONS The study contributes to the analysis of early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide mortality in the whole population highlighting sex, age and territorial differences and suggesting to monitor possible increases in a longer observation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Grande
- National Institute of Statistics, Integrated system for health, social assistance and welfare, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Grippo
- National Institute of Statistics, Integrated system for health, social assistance and welfare, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Crialesi
- National Institute of Statistics, Integrated system for health, social assistance and welfare, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Marchetti
- National Institute of Statistics, Integrated system for health, social assistance and welfare, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Frova
- National Institute of Statistics, Integrated system for health, social assistance and welfare, Rome, Italy
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10
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Valgañón P, Useche AF, Soriano-Paños D, Ghoshal G, Gómez-Gardeñes J. Quantifying the heterogeneous impact of lockdown policies on different socioeconomic classes during the first COVID-19 wave in Colombia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16481. [PMID: 37777581 PMCID: PMC10542364 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43685-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In the absence of vaccines, the most widespread reaction to curb the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide was the implementation of lockdowns or stay-at-home policies. Despite the reported usefulness of such policies, their efficiency was highly constrained by socioeconomic factors determining their feasibility and their associated outcome in terms of mobility reduction and the subsequent limitation of social activity. Here we investigate the impact of lockdown policies on the mobility patterns of different socioeconomic classes in the three major cities of Colombia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In global terms, we find a consistent positive correlation between the reduction in mobility levels and the socioeconomic stratum of the population in the three cities, implying that those with lower incomes were less capable of adopting the aforementioned policies. Our analysis also suggests a strong restructuring of the mobility network of lowest socioeconomic strata during COVID-19 lockdown, increasing their endogenous mixing while hampering their connections with wealthiest areas due to a sharp reduction in long-distance trips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Valgañón
- Departament of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
- GOTHAM lab, Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Andrés F Useche
- Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidad de Los Andes, 111711, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - David Soriano-Paños
- GOTHAM lab, Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain.
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal.
| | - Gourab Ghoshal
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Jesús Gómez-Gardeñes
- Departament of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Zaragoza, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
- GOTHAM lab, Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
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11
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Nicoll G, Vincent J, Gajaria A, Zaheer J. A trauma-informed approach to suicide prevention for the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2023; 327:115407. [PMID: 37579538 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have questioned how the devastation of the pandemic might impact suicide rates. While initial evidence on suicide rates during the early stages of the pandemic is mixed, there are signs we should still remain vigilant. One way of conceptualizing the long-term effects of the pandemic is as a source of multiple traumatic events: the collective trauma of widespread illness and death and social upheaval, individual traumas from the virus itself (e.g., serious illness and disability, traumatic grief, vicarious trauma), traumas from the social and economic consequences (e.g., domestic violence, unemployment), and its intersections with pre-pandemic traumas and oppression. Given trauma is a well-established risk factor for suicide, this carries significant implications for suicide prevention in the wake of the pandemic. Yet access to trauma-informed care, education, and research remains limited. The pandemic presents a unique opportunity to address these gaps and implement a trauma-informed approach to suicide prevention. Building on existing frameworks, we describe how effective suicide prevention for the pandemic must incorporate trauma-informed and trauma-specific services, strategies, and policies; capacity building; collaborative research; and knowledge exchange. Attending to the traumatic effects of the pandemic may reduce the long-term impact on suicide rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Nicoll
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Medical Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Vincent
- St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amy Gajaria
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Juveria Zaheer
- Institute for Medical Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Martínez-Alés G, Szmulewicz A, López-Cuadrado T, Morrison CN, Keyes KM, Susser ES. Suicide Following the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: Variation Across Place, Over Time, and Across Sociodemographic Groups. A Systematic Integrative Review. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2023; 25:283-300. [PMID: 37227647 PMCID: PMC10209574 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01427-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To systematically examine changes in suicide trends following the initial COVID-19 outbreak, focusing on geographical and temporal heterogeneity and on differences across sociodemographic subgroups. RECENT FINDINGS Of 46 studies, 26 had low risk of bias. In general, suicides remained stable or decreased following the initial outbreak - however, suicide increases were detected during spring 2020 in Mexico, Nepal, India, Spain, and Hungary; and after summer 2020 in Japan. Trends were heterogeneous across sociodemographic groups (i.e., there were increases among racially minoritized individuals in the US, young adults and females across ages in Japan, older males in Brazil and Germany, and older adults across sex in China and Taiwan). Variations may be explained by differences in risk of COVID-19 contagion and death and in socioeconomic vulnerability. Monitoring geographical, temporal, and sociodemographic differences in suicide trends during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical to guide suicide prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Martínez-Alés
- CAUSALab, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
- La Paz Research Institute (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain.
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.
| | | | | | | | - Katherine M Keyes
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ezra S Susser
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
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13
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García-Dolores F, Tendilla-Beltrán H, Flores F, Carbajal-Rimoldi LA, Mendoza-Morales RC, Gómez-Mendoza LE, Vázquez-Hernández AJ, de la Cruz F, Genis-Mendoza AD, Nicolini H, Flores G. Increased suicide rates in Mexico City during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak: An analysis spanning from 2016 to 2021. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16420. [PMID: 37274652 PMCID: PMC10228161 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted mental health worldwide, and suicide can be a serious outcome of this. Thus, suicide characteristics were examined before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico City. Methods This is a retrospective study including all Mexico City residents who had a coroner's record with a cause of death of intentional self-harm (ICD-10) from January 2016 to December 2021. Results From 2016 to 2021, 3636 people committed suicide, of which 2869 were males (78.9%) and 767 females (21.1%). From 2016 to 2019 the suicide rate remained constant (∼6 per 100000) and dramatically increased in 2020 (10.45 per 100,000), to return to the levels of the previous year in 2021 (6.95 per 100000). The suicide rate in 2020 specifically increased from January to June (COVID-19 outbreak) in all age groups. Moreover, every year young people (15-24 years) have the maximum suicide rate and depression was the main suicide etiology. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak increased the suicide rate, regardless of age, but suicide prevalence was higher in males and young people, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings confirm that suicide is a complex and multifactorial problem and will allow the establishment of new guidelines for prevention and care strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando García-Dolores
- Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Tribunal Superior de Justicia de la Ciudad de México (TSJCDMX), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Hiram Tendilla-Beltrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fidel de la Cruz
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB), Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City, Mexico
- Hospital Psiquiátrico Infantil Dr. Juan N. Navarro, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Humberto Nicolini
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, Mexico
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14
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Scarfe ML, Belisario K, Gillard J, De Jesus J, Frey BN, Van Ameringen M, McKinnon MC, Gohari MR, Busse JW, MacKillop J. Periodicity and severity of changes in depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: Ten-wave longitudinal findings from an observational cohort study of community adults. Psychiatry Res 2023; 326:115267. [PMID: 37295351 PMCID: PMC10211253 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Few multi-wave longitudinal studies have examined mental health changes across the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The current study examined: (a) overall changes in depression and anxiety over 10-waves of data collection; (b) subgroup moderators of changes; (c) clinical severity of the changes via minimally important differences (MIDs); and (d) correlates of clinically important changes. METHODS Using a longitudinal observational cohort design, 1412 non-clinical adults (Mage=36; 60% female) were assessed for depression and anxiety via the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 from October 2018 to April 2022 (3 pre-pandemic, 7 intra-pandemic waves; M retention = 92%). RESULTS Depression and anxiety exhibited significant intra-pandemic changes, reflecting initial increases, followed by decreases. Pre-pandemic severity moderated changes, with low severity participants exhibiting increases and high severity participants exhibiting non-significant change or decreases. For depression and anxiety, respectively, 10% and 11% exhibited MID increases, while 4% and 6% exhibited MID decreases. Divergent patterns were present by severity subgroup, with the lowest severity exhibiting higher rates of MID increases and the highest severity subgroup exhibiting higher rates of MID decreases. CONCLUSIONS These findings illuminate the periodicity of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and reveal an unexpected inverse relationship between increases and decreases based on pre-pandemic severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly L Scarfe
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th St, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 3R2, Canada; St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychology Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyla Belisario
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th St, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 3R2, Canada; St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Gillard
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th St, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 3R2, Canada; St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jane De Jesus
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th St, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 3R2, Canada; St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benicio N Frey
- St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Van Ameringen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Margaret C McKinnon
- St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mahmood R Gohari
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | - Jason W Busse
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Health Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, 100 West 5th St, Hamilton, Ontario L8P 3R2, Canada; Department of Psychology Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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15
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de la Torre-Luque A, Pemau A, Perez-Sola V, Ayuso-Mateos JL. Suicide mortality in Spain in 2020: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. SPANISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 16:116-118. [PMID: 35132342 PMCID: PMC8809655 DOI: 10.1016/j.rpsm.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Suicide constitutes a major concern with evident contribution to global mortality worldwide. Evidence on suicide trends is mixed in the COVID-19 pandemic era. Spain may be an at-risk country for increased suicide risk in the time of COVID-19 pandemic due to prolonged restrictions and lockdown, elevated COVID-19 wave recurrence and related mental health impact. This brief report aims to provide some insight into the suicide mortality trends in the first COVID-19 pandemic year in Spain, using national data. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data from the National Death Index were used. Annual mortality rate was calculated at a province level under random-effects models for the 2019 and 2020 years. Poisson timeseries regression was used to study the relationship between monthly suicide mortality and COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and lockdown, and second COVID-19 wave peak covariates. RESULTS 3671 people died by suicide in 2019 in Spain and 3941 people died by suicide in 2020. The random-effects mortality rate in 2019 was 8.3 (CI95=7.6, 9.0) per 100,000 inhabitants, and mortality rate in 2020 was 8.9 (CI95=8.3, 9.6). No significant differences between mortality rates were found (p=.18). The Poisson regression showed a significant relationship between the COVID-19 outbreak and suicide mortality trend, with OR=1.07 (CI95=1.02, 1.12). CONCLUSIONS Although annual mortality rates were not significantly different, an increased suicide risk was found from May, 2020 onwards. Our results claim for action to tackle suicide in the post-pandemic era taking into account the discouraging upcoming scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro de la Torre-Luque
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain; Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain.
| | | | - Victor Perez-Sola
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain; Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Parc de Salut Mar, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Ayuso-Mateos
- Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain
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16
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Balint L, Osvath P, Kapitany B, Rihmer Z, Nemeth A, Dome P. Suicide in Hungary during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: Subgroup investigations. J Affect Disord 2023; 325:453-458. [PMID: 36642307 PMCID: PMC9836994 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 may unfavourably affect the mental health of individuals in various ways. Accordingly, the concern has been raised that national suicide rates will increase in the wake of the outbreak of the pandemic. METHODS In the current study, we tested this conjecture in three age groups (<25; 25-64; ≥65) of the Hungarian total population and the male and female populations. In addition, we assessed whether the pandemic had different effects on counts of suicides committed by violent or non-violent methods. Finally, by comparing the monthly suicide rates in 2020 and the corresponding monthly rates in 2019, we also investigated the "pulling together" hypothesis that postulates that a temporary decrease in suicides may occur after large-scale catastrophic events. RESULTS With regard to the total population only the suicide counts of individuals aged 25-64 rose significantly (p < 0.05) during the COVID months of 2020. Similar patterns, but at lower levels of significance (0.05 < p < 0.1), were found in those members of the total population aged 65 or older and among males aged between 25 and 64. Furthermore, we found that the number of violent suicides increased significantly (p < 0.05) during the COVID months. Finally, our results have not confirmed the existence of a "pulling together" phenomenon in association with the COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary. LIMITATIONS We used non-individual level data and were therefore unable to control suicide risk factors at the level of individuals. DISCUSSION The number of suicides rose significantly in some subgroups of the Hungarian population during the COVID months of 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lajos Balint
- Demographic Research Institute of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Sociology, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Peter Osvath
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Balazs Kapitany
- Demographic Research Institute of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Rihmer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Nemeth
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Peter Dome
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary.
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Turner BJ, Switzer AC, Welch BE, Legg NK, Gregory MA, Phiri P, Rathod S, Paterson TS. Psychological mediators of the associations between pandemic-related stressors and suicidal ideation across three periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. J Affect Disord 2023; 324:566-575. [PMID: 36584705 PMCID: PMC9794401 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic's mental health impact is well-established. While early evidence suggested suicide deaths remained stable or declined, suicidal ideation (SI) became more prevalent than before the pandemic. Our study: (1) examined the prevalence and distribution of SI among Canadian adults, (2) compared SI among those with and without pre-existing mental illnesses, and (3) evaluated associations between pandemic-related stressors (i.e., unemployment, insecure employment, loss of income, medical vulnerability, COVID-19 exposure) with SI, and whether such associations were mediated by depression, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, or perceived discrimination. METHODS The sample was comprised of data gathered at three timepoints (Wave 1 08/18/2020-10/01/2020, n = 6629; Wave 2 12/21/2020-03/31/2021, n = 5920; Wave 3 09/07/2021-12/07/2021, n = 7354). Quota-based responses from survey research panels which matched the geographic, age, and sex distribution of the Canadian population were supplemented with convenience-sampled responses. RESULTS The prevalence of SI was 4.1 % (Wave 1), 5.3 % (Wave 2), and 5.8 % (Wave 3). Odds of SI were higher for respondents under the age of 35 years and with pre-existing mental illnesses. SI was associated with quarantining due to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 exposure, potential COVID-19 exposure at work, medical vulnerability toward COVID-19, insecure employment or unemployment, and income loss. These associations were mediated by psychological experiences, particularly depression and thwarted belongingness. LIMITATIONS This cross-sectional, observational study cannot establish temporality or causality. CONCLUSION Results highlight groups who may benefit from enhanced screening for depression and suicide risk. Reducing depression and increasing sense of belonging should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna J. Turner
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada,Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Andrew C. Switzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Brooke E. Welch
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Nicole K. Legg
- Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | | | - Peter Phiri
- Research & Innovation Department, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK,School of Psychology, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Shanaya Rathod
- Research & Innovation Department, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK,Faculty of Science, University of Portsmouth, UK
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18
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Tian Z, Qu W, Zhao Y, Zhu X, Wang Z, Tan Y, Jiang R, Tan S. Predicting depression and anxiety of Chinese population during COVID-19 in psychological evaluation data by XGBoost. J Affect Disord 2023; 323:417-425. [PMID: 36462608 PMCID: PMC9710109 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the onset of sudden stress, COVID-19 has greatly impacted the incidence of depression and anxiety. However, challenges still exist in identifying high-risk groups for depression and anxiety during COVID-19. Studies have identified how resilience and social support can be employed as effective predictors of depression and anxiety. This study aims to select the best combination of variables from measures of resilience, social support, and alexithymia for predicting depression and anxiety. METHODS The eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost1) model was applied to a dataset including data on 29,841 participants that was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discriminant analyses on groups of participants with depression (DE2), anxiety (AN3), comorbid depression and anxiety (DA4), and healthy controls (HC5), were performed. All variables were selected according to their importance for classification. Further, analyses were performed with selected features to determine the best variable combination. RESULTS The mean accuracies achieved by three classification tasks, DE vs HC, AN vs HC, and DA vs HC, were 0.78, 0.77, and 0.89. Further, the combination of 19 selected features almost exhibited the same performance as all 56 variables (accuracies = 0.75, 0.75, and 0.86). CONCLUSIONS Resilience, social support, and some demographic data can accurately distinguish DE, AN, and DA from HC. The results can be used to inform screening practices for depression and anxiety. Additionally, the model performance of a limited scale including only 19 features indicates that using a simplified scale is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanxiao Tian
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Wei Qu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Yanli Zhao
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhu
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Yunlong Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Ronghuan Jiang
- The First Medical Center of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, No.100 West Fourth Ring Road, Fengtai District, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Beijing 100096, China.
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Yan Y, Hou J, Li Q, Yu NX. Suicide before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3346. [PMID: 36834037 PMCID: PMC9960664 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Synthesizing evidence to examine changes in suicide-related outcomes before and during the pandemic can inform suicide management during the COVID-19 crisis. We searched 13 databases as of December 2022 for studies reporting both the pre- and peri-pandemic prevalence of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, or rate of death by suicide. A random-effects model was used to pool the ratio of peri- and pre-pandemic prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt (Prevalence Ratio-PR) and rate of death by suicide (Rate Ratio; RR). We identified 51, 55, and 25 samples for suicidal ideation, attempt, and death by suicide. The prevalence of suicidal ideation increased significantly among non-clinical (PR = 1.142; 95% CI: 1.018-1.282; p = 0.024; k = 28) and clinical (PR = 1.134; 95% CI: 1.048-1.227; p = 0.002; k = 23) samples, and pooled estimates differed by population and study design. Suicide attempts were more prevalent during the pandemic among non-clinical (PR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.053-1.233; p = 0.001; k = 30) and clinical (PR = 1.32; 95% CI: 1.17-1.489; p = 0.000; k = 25) participants. The pooled RR for death by suicide was 0.923 (95% CI: 0.84-1.01; p = 0.092; k = 25), indicating a nonsignificant downward trend. An upward trend of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite suicide rate remaining stable. Our findings suggest that timely prevention and intervention programs are highly needed for non-clinical adult population and clinical patients. Monitoring the real-time and long-run suicide risk as the pandemic evolves is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Yan
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jianhua Hou
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Computing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Nancy Xiaonan Yu
- Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Canadian news media coverage of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2023:10.1007/s00127-023-02430-2. [PMID: 36695916 PMCID: PMC9875168 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-023-02430-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The COVID-19 pandemic led to concerns about increases in suicidal behaviour. Research indicates that certain types of media coverage of suicide may help reduce suicidality (the Papageno effect), while other types may increase suicidality (the Werther effect). This study aimed to examine the tone and content of Canadian news articles about suicide during the first year of the pandemic. METHODS Articles about suicide from Canadian news sources were collected and coded for adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines. Articles which directly discussed suicidal behaviour in the COVID-19 context were identified and compared to other suicide articles in the same period. Lastly, a thematic analysis was conducted on the sub-sample of articles discussing suicide in the COVID-19 context. RESULTS The sub-set of articles about suicide in the COVID-19 context (n = 103) contained significantly more putatively helpful content compared to non-COVID-19 articles (n = 457), such as including help information (56.3% Vs 23.6%), quoting an expert (68.0% Vs 16.8%) and educating about suicide (73.8% Vs 24.9%). This lower adherence among non-COVID-19 articles is concerning as they comprised over 80% of the sample. On the plus side, fewer than 10% of all articles provided monocausal, glamourized or sensational accounts of suicide. Qualitative analysis revealed the following three themes: (i) describing the epidemiology of suicidal behaviour; (ii) discussing self and communal care; and (iii) bringing attention to gaps in mental health care. CONCLUSION Media articles about suicide during the first year of the pandemic showed partial adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines, with room for improvement.
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Lantos T, Nyári TA. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates in Hungary: an interrupted time-series analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:775. [PMID: 36494787 PMCID: PMC9733003 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04322-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND From 2010 to 2019, suicide mortality fell steadily and substantially in Hungary: the declining trend remained stable, and the suicide rate decreased by more than one-third which was remarkable even from an international perspective. However, despite the declining trend, regional inequalities have always characterised the distribution of suicide mortality in Hungary. Following these favourable trends, COVID-19 appeared in Hungary on the 4th of March 2020 which might lead to an increase in suicides. We aimed to investigate this hypothesis in Hungary by gender, age, educational attainment, and region, as well. METHODS To test whether the pandemic changed the declining trend of Hungarian suicide rates, the observed number of suicides during March-December 2020 (pre-vaccination period) was compared with the expected numbers (without the appearance of COVID-19). An interrupted time-series analysis was conducted by negative binomial regression using monthly data from January 2010 to February 2020 (pre-pandemic period). RESULTS Suicide mortality increased significantly compared to the trend during the pre-pandemic period: overall (by 16.7%), among males (18.5%), in the age group 35-49 years (32.8%), and among vocational school graduates (26.1%). Additionally, significant growths in suicide rates were detected in the two regions (Central Hungary and Central Transdanubia) with the lowest COVID mortality rates (by 27.3% and 22.2%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed reversed trend in suicide mortality during the pre-vaccination period compared to the pre-pandemic period in Hungary. There were significant differences in the pattern of suicide rates by gender, age group, educational attainment, and region during the pre-vaccination period in Hungary, which might be attributed to the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings could prove useful in preventive strategies as the identification of groups at higher risk may be important for suicide prevention; however, further investigations are needed to explore the reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Lantos
- Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 9 Korányi alley, 6720, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Tibor András Nyári
- grid.9008.10000 0001 1016 9625Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 9 Korányi alley, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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22
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Okada M. Is an increase in Japan's suicides caused by COVID-19 alone? Asian J Psychiatr 2022; 78:103320. [PMID: 36375240 PMCID: PMC9650515 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Similar to other countries, the Japanese government quickly undertook preventative measures against increasing suicides during the pandemic, but could not suppress the increase. Suicide mortality among both sexes under 20 and females aged 20-39 significantly increased during the pandemic, but unexpectedly had already slowed decreasing trends before the pandemic onset. Furthermore, before the pandemic, a higher complete unemployment rate contributed to increasing suicide mortality of both sexes, whereas during the pandemic, the positive relationship between females suicide mortalities and complete unemployment rates was not observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motohiro Okada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan.
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23
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El-Sarnagawy G, Hafez A, Amer R. Characteristics of suicidal poisoned patients admitted to tertiary care center during COVID-19 pandemic. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2022; 58:138. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-022-00577-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Suicidal poisoning is a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic that has several physical and mental hazards. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of suicidal poisoned patients admitted to a tertiary poison control center during the pandemic lockdown and assess COVID-related knowledge and attitude among those patients to identify the high-risk group for suicide. This cross-sectional study was conducted on acutely poisoned patients admitted to Tanta University Poison Control Center from June to December 2020. Upon admission, socio-demographic data, causative poisoning agents, COVID-related knowledge and attitude, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) were collected from all participants.
Results
A total of 254 poisoned patients were categorized into suicidal (85.04%) and accidental (14.96%) poisoning groups. The former was caused mainly by phosphides and was significantly associated with a history of using psychotropic medications and high HAM-A and HAM-D results. Logistic regression analysis showed that a history of psychiatric illness, low attitude scores, and high HAM-D scores were significant risk factors for suicidal poisoning.
Conclusions
Considerable number of suicidal poisoned patients had moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, highlighting the importance of providing specialized psychiatric services in poisoning centers, particularly among vulnerable populations, to prevent the overwhelming repeated suicidal attempts.
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Lee GE, Kim JW, Lee KR, Hong DY, Park SO, Kim SY, Baek KJ, Jeon HJ. Vulnerable individuals and changes in suicidal behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. BJPsych Open 2022; 8:e166. [PMID: 36073010 PMCID: PMC9464507 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2022.569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic poses a major threat to mental health and is associated with an increased risk of suicide. An understanding of suicidal behaviours during the pandemic is necessary for establishing policies to prevent suicides in such social conditions. AIMS We aimed to investigate vulnerable individuals and the characteristics of changes in suicidal behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with suicide attempts who visited the emergency department from February 2019 to January 2021. We analysed the demographic and clinical characteristics, risk factors and rescue factors of patients, and compared the findings between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. RESULTS In total, 519 patients were included. During the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, 303 and 270 patients visited the emergency department after a suicide attempt, respectively. The proportion of suicide attempts by women (60.1% v. 69.3%, P = 0.035) and patients with a previous psychiatric illness (63.4% v. 72.9%, P = 0.006) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, patients' rescue scores during the pandemic were lower than those during the pre-pandemic period (12 (interquartile range: 11-13) v. 13 (interquartile range: 12-14), P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Women and people with previous psychiatric illnesses were more vulnerable to suicide attempts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Suicide prevention policies, such as continuous monitoring and staying in touch with vulnerable individuals, are necessary to cope with suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gi Eun Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Won Kim
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Ryong Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Young Hong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang O Park
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
| | - Sin Young Kim
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Je Baek
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Jun Jeon
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Konkuk University Medical Center, Republic of Korea
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Matsumoto R, Kawano Y, Motomura E, Shiroyama T, Okada M. Analyzing the changing relationship between personal consumption and suicide mortality during COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, using governmental and personal consumption transaction databases. Front Public Health 2022; 10:982341. [PMID: 36159241 PMCID: PMC9489934 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.982341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
During the early stages of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, suicides did not increase in most countries/regions. Japan, however, was an exception to this, reporting increased numbers of female suicides with no changes in male suicide. To explore the trends of increasing suicides, the fluctuations of personal consumption (as an indicator of lifestyle) and standardized suicide death rate (SDR) disaggregated by age, sex, and prefecture, were determined using a linear mixed-effect model. Additionally, fixed effects of personal consumption on SDR during the pandemic were also analyzed using hierarchical linear regression models with robust standard errors. During the first wave of the pandemic, SDR for both sexes decreased slightly but increased during the second half of 2020. SDR of females younger than 70 years old and males younger than 40 years old continued to increase throughout 2021, whereas SDR for other ages of both sexes did not increase. Personal consumption expenditures on out-of-home recreations (travel agencies, pubs, and hotels) and internet/mobile communication expenses decreased, but expenditures on home-based recreations (contents distribution) increased during the pandemic. Increased expenditures on internet/mobile communication were related to increasing SDR of both sexes. Increasing expenditures on content distributions were related to increasing females' SDR without affecting that of males. Decreasing expenditures on pubs were related to increasing SDR of both sexes in the non-metropolitan region. These findings suggest that transformed individual lifestyles, extended time at home with a decreased outing for contact with others, contributed to the progression of isolation as a risk of suicide. Unexpectedly, increasing compensatory contact with others using internet/mobile communication enhanced isolation resulting in increased suicide risk.
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Orellana JDY, de Souza MLP. Excess suicides in Brazil: Inequalities according to age groups and regions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2022; 68:997-1009. [PMID: 35621004 DOI: 10.1177/00207640221097826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed more than six million direct deaths. Low-and middle-income countries, such Brazil, were severely hit, not only due to direct effects on mortality, but also for its indirect effects on other causes of deaths. AIMS The objective of this study was to estimate the excess suicides in Brazil and evaluate patterns within and between its regions during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. METHOD The observed suicides are gathered from the mortality information system of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The estimates of expected suicides, according to sex, age group, bimonthly period and region, were reached through quasi-Poisson generalized additive models, with adjustment for overdispersion. The analyses were performed in R software, version 3.6.1 and RStudio, version 1.2.1335. RESULTS From March 2020 to December 2020, 10,409 suicides were observed in Brazil, resulting in an overall decrease of 13%, in comparison to the expected rate for the period. There were excess suicides of 26% in men from the Northern region in the 60 years and more age group, as well as in women from the Northern region in the 30 to 59 years age group in two consecutive bimonthly periods. Excess suicides of 40% was also observed in women in the 60 years and more age group from the Northeastern region. CONCLUSIONS Despite the overall decrease in suicides in Brazil over the period assessed, substantial excess suicides were observed in different age groups and sexes from the Northern and Northeastern regions of the country, which are regions that are historically more prone to health and socioeconomic inequalities.
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Borges G, Garcia JA, Pirkis J, Spittal MJ, Gunnell D, Sinyor M, John A. A state level analyses of suicide and the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:460. [PMID: 35810285 PMCID: PMC9271255 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04095-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While suicide rates in high- and middle-income countries appeared stable in the early stages of the pandemic, we know little about within-country variations. We sought to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on suicide in Mexico's 32 states and to identify factors that may have contributed to observed variations between states. METHODS Interrupted time-series analysis to model the trend in monthly suicides before COVID-19 (from Jan 1, 2010, to March 31, 2020), comparing the expected number of suicides derived from the model with the observed number for the remainder of the year (April 1 to December 31, 2020) for each of Mexico's 32 states. Next, we modeled state-level trends using linear regression to study likely contributing factors at ecological level. RESULTS Suicide increased slightly across Mexico during the first nine months of the pandemic (RR 1.03; 95%CI 1.01-1.05). Suicides remained stable in 19 states, increase in seven states (RR range: 1.12-2.04) and a decrease in six states (RR range: 0.46-0.88). Suicide RR at the state level was positively associated with population density in 2020 and state level suicide death rate in 2019. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic had a differential effect on suicide death within the 32 states of Mexico. Higher population density and higher suicide rates in 2019 were associated with increased suicide. As the country struggles to cope with the ongoing pandemic, efforts to improve access to primary care and mental health care services (including suicide crisis intervention services) in these settings should be given priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Borges
- grid.419154.c0000 0004 1776 9908Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramon de La Fuente Muñiz, Calzada Mexico Xochimilco 101, 14370 Mexico City, CP Mexico
| | - J. A. Garcia
- grid.451581.c0000 0001 2164 0187Centro de Investigación Y Docencia Económicas (CIDE), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - J. Pirkis
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - M. J. Spittal
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - D. Gunnell
- grid.5337.20000 0004 1936 7603Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Bristol, UK ,grid.5337.20000 0004 1936 7603National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - M. Sinyor
- grid.413104.30000 0000 9743 1587Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - A. John
- grid.4827.90000 0001 0658 8800Population Psychiatry, Suicide and Informatics, Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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Okada M, Matsumoto R, Motomura E, Shiroyama T, Murata M. Exploring characteristics of increased suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan using provisional governmental data. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2022; 24:100481. [PMID: 35664440 PMCID: PMC9160839 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Background The Japanese age-standardised death rate of suicide (SDR) had decreased during 2009-2019, but increased in 2020-2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This study aimed to explain the trend change in the SDR during the pandemic, disaggregated by prefecture, gender, suicide method and household, as compared to predicted SDR derived from pre-pandemic data, using linear mixed-effect and hierarchical linear regression models with robust standard error analyses. Findings The SDR was lower during March-June 2020 (during the first wave of the pandemic), but higher during July-December 2020 than the predicted SDR. In 2021, males' SDR was nearly equal to the predicted SDR, whereas females' SDR in the metropolitan-region (17.5%: 95% confidence interval: 13.9-21.2%) and non-metropolitan-region (24.7%: 95% confidence interval: 22.8-26.7%) continued to be higher than the predicted SDR. These gender- and region-dependent temporal fluctuations of SDR were synchronised with those of SDRs caused by hanging, at home and single-person-households. Additionally, the rising number of infected patients with the SARS-CoV-2 and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic examinations were positively (β = 0.024) and negatively (β =-0.002) related to the SDR during the pandemic, respectively. Interpretation Japanese suicide statistics have previously established that the predominant method and place of suicide were by hanging and at the individual's home, respectively. The present findings suggest that transformed lifestyles during the pandemic, increasing time spent at home, enhanced the suicide risk of Japanese people by hanging and at home. Funding Regional Suicide Countermeasures Emergency Enhancement Fund of Mie Prefecture (2021-40).
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Affiliation(s)
- Motohiro Okada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Eishi Motomura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Takashi Shiroyama
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Masahiko Murata
- Department of Psychiatry, National Hospital Organization Sakakibara Hospital, 777 Sakakibara, Tsu, Mie 514-1292, Japan
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Haeffel GJ. Psychology needs to get tired of winning. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220099. [PMID: 35754994 PMCID: PMC9214288 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Psychological science is on an extraordinary winning streak. A review of the published literature shows that nearly all study hypotheses are supported. This means that either all the theories are correct, or the literature is biased towards positive findings. Results from large-scale replication projects and the prevalence of questionable research practices indicate the latter. This is a problem because science progresses from being wrong. For decades, there have been calls for better theories and the adoption of a strong inference approach to science. However, there is little reason to believe that psychological science is ready to change. Although recent developments like the open science movement have improved transparency and replicability, they have not addressed psychological science's method-oriented (rather than problem-oriented) mindset. Psychological science still does not embrace the scientific method of developing theories, conducting critical tests of those theories, detecting contradictory results, and revising (or disposing of) the theories accordingly. In this article, I review why psychologists must embrace being wrong and how the Registered Report format might be one strategy for stopping psychology's winning streak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald J. Haeffel
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
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30
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Pan X, Luo Y. Exploring the multidimensional relationships between social media support, social confidence, perceived media credibility and life attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 41:3388-3400. [PMID: 35645549 PMCID: PMC9130692 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03238-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous literature mainly focuses on the impact of social media support on social trust, emotional effect and life attitude, and affirmed the social governance value of social media support. However, the multidimensional relationship between social media support and social confidence, perceived media credibility and life attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important, yet less explored, research issue. The present research aimed to fill in this gap by a survey of 1343 participants who are permanent residents aged 18 and above in a city through WeChat social networking platform. The results showed that: (1) social media support exerted direct influence on social confidence, perceived media credibility and life attitude; (2) perceived media credibility positively influenced social confidence; (3) social media support not only directly promoted social confidence, but also indirectly influenced social confidence through public’s perceived media credibility. These findings suggested that strengthening social media support during the COVID-19 pandemic is not only helpful to reconstitute the public’s confidence in prevailing against the pandemic, but also is able to help promote the diversification of the power of public network autonomy. This study highlighted social media support as an effective path to improve the ability of social governance.
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El Frenn Y, Hallit S, Obeid S, Soufia M. Association of the time spent on social media news with depression and suicidal ideation among a sample of Lebanese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Lebanese economic crisis. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 42:1-13. [PMID: 35582433 PMCID: PMC9099267 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03148-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The main objectives were to associate between social media news consumption during these unstable times and depression, as well as suicidal ideation among a sample of Lebanese adults, in addition to associate between fear of Covid-19, depression and suicidal ideation. Secondary objectives aimed to check the mediating effect of depression in the association between time spent on social media to get the news and the presence of suicidal ideation. This is a cross-sectional study executed between April and May 2021. It involved 402 Lebanese citizens aged 18 years and above, selected randomly from all Lebanese districts. Having cancer (Beta = 0.20) or lung disease (Beta = 0.27), more fear of COVID-19 (Beta = 0.16), a higher time spent on social media for news (Beta = 0.13) and a higher household crowding index (Beta = 0.29) were significantly associated with more depression, whereas having a pet in the house (Beta = -0.13) and working in the medical field (Beta = -0.17) were significantly associated with less depression. Higher depression (aOR = 1.19) was significantly associated with higher odds of having suicidal ideation, whereas more fear of COVID-19 (aOR = 0.84) and older age (aOR = 0.96) were significantly associated with less odds of having suicidal ideation. Depression did not mediate the association between time spent on social media to get the news and suicidal ideation. This study showed that more time spent on social media reading the news is associated with higher depression but not suicidal ideation. Fear of Covid-19 is associated with more depression, but less suicidal ideation. Further studies are needed to identify the causality between social media news consumption, depression and suicidal ideation. Moreover, awareness campaigns should be organized to teach people how to consume social media news in a responsible way, without letting it affect their emotions directly, which may cause psychological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara El Frenn
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Souheil Hallit
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
- Psychology Department, College of Humanities, Effat University, Jeddah, 21478 Saudi Arabia
- Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon
| | - Sahar Obeid
- Social and Education Sciences Department, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Jbeil, Lebanon
| | - Michel Soufia
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon
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The psychological distress and COVID-19 pandemic during lockdown: A cross-sectional study from United Arab Emirates (UAE). Heliyon 2022; 8:e09422. [PMID: 35647360 PMCID: PMC9133578 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The pandemic resulted in the societal changes as conflicts and instability were the common concerns experienced by families because of the lockdown. However, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population is not studied extensively. Objective The study evaluates the psychological impact of lockdown during the pandemic on the people in the UAE. Material and methods This study was cross-sectional in nature and was conducted using a questionnaire consisting of 35-items. The questions were related to social, psychological, and personal aspects. Multivariate Linear regression was used to find the outcomes between independent variables. Results The mean value of social phobia was 2.56 ± .620, followed by the mean score of anxiety (2.47 ± .666), stress (2.44 ± .631), and depression (2.42 ± .682). The higher the respondents experienced the scores, the more depression, anxiety, and stress. Demographics such as marital status, age, and occupation and education level have a statistically significant association with social phobia, anxiety, depression, and stress. Conclusion The study concludes that the lockdown more psychologically impacted males, older people, and unemployed individuals during the pandemic.
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Kaggwa MM, Rukundo GZ, Wakida EK, Maling S, Sserumaga BM, Atim LM, Obua C. Suicide and Suicide Attempts Among Patients Attending Primary Health Care Facilities in Uganda: A Medical Records Review. Healthc Policy 2022; 15:703-711. [PMID: 35469181 PMCID: PMC9034861 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s358187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for about 800,000 deaths annually. The suicide burden drastically increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Uganda, no known study has determined the suicide rate since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective To determine the suicide mortality rate and describe the characteristics of victims of suicide attempts from January to December 2020 in south western Uganda. Methods This study was based on the health management information systems (HMIS) of patients’ registered data for the year 2020 at 15 selected primary health care facilities in four districts in south-western Uganda. We used a data extraction tool to capture demographic and clinical characteristics of the individuals who had attempted or completed suicide. We estimated yearly incidence rates of fatal and non-fatal suicide attempts, and used chi-square and t-test to determine the statistical difference between suicide attempt outcomes. Results A total of 130 non-fatal suicide attempts and 26 suicides were identified. Majority were male 69.87% (n = 109/156) and the mean age was 27.16 (SD = 14.71) years. The overall incidence of suicide attempts was about 60 attempts per 100,000 people, while that of completed suicide was about three deaths per 100,000 people. The suicide attempts increased following the first month of COVID-19 lockdown in the country (March 2020) and most individuals attempted suicide by poisoning (n = 144). Conclusion Suicide is a common occurrence in primary health care settings of Uganda and there has been a rapid increase in suicide attempts since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With suicide by poisoning being common, there is need for proactive interventions, such as the control of pesticides and herbicides, to prevent suicide among members of this community, especially during pandemic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Mohan Kaggwa
- Department of Psychiatry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
- African Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, Mbarara, Uganda
- Correspondence: Mark Mohan Kaggwa, Email
| | - Godfrey Zari Rukundo
- Department of Psychiatry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
- African Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Edith K Wakida
- African Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, Mbarara, Uganda
- Office of Research Administration, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
- Department of Medical Education, California University of Science and Medicine, San Barnardino, CA, United States of America
| | - Samuel Maling
- Department of Psychiatry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Baker Makaya Sserumaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
- African Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Letizia Maria Atim
- Department of Psychiatry, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
- African Centre for Suicide Prevention and Research, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Celestino Obua
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda
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Examining the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and self-harm death counts in four Canadian provinces. Psychiatry Res 2022; 310:114433. [PMID: 35152070 PMCID: PMC8816901 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Governments implemented lockdowns and other physical distancing measures to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Resulting unemployment, income loss, poverty, and social isolation, coupled with daily reports of dire news about the COVID-19 pandemic, could serve as catalysts for increased self-harm deaths (SHD). This ecological study examined whether observed SHD counts were higher than predicted SHD counts during the pandemic period in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Québec. The study also explored whether SHD counts during the pandemic were affected by lockdown severity (measured using the lockdown stringency index [LSI]) and COVID-19 case numbers. We utilized publicly available SHD data from January 2018 through November 2020, and employed AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) modelling, to predict SHD during the COVID-19 period (March 21 to November 28, 2020). We used Poisson and negative binomial regression to assess ecological associations between the LSI and COVID-19 case numbers, controlling for seasonality, and SHD counts during the COVID-19 period. On average, observed SHD counts were lower than predicted counts during this period (p < 0.05 [except Alberta]). Additionally, LSI and COVID-19 case numbers were not statistically significantly associated with SHD counts.
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Alam MA, Uddin AI, Uddin MA, Begum S, Nahar H, Raihan T, Khan AG. Mental health of students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: An empirical study. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09111. [PMID: 35309400 PMCID: PMC8924029 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Considering the severity of the global outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the whole of humanity, particularly in this case on the physical and mental health of students, this study strives to explore the role of financial worries, employment anxiety and COVID-19 knowledge on depression and mental health among students in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach In the study, a deductive reasoning approach was employed, together with a self-administered questionnaire survey. Questionnaires were sent to the respondents via different social media and by email by creating a Google form link. We finally received 387 responses students aged over 18 years who had internet access in order to complete the survey. To analyze the data, structural equation modeling via AMOS was used. Findings The results showed that employment anxiety, financial worry, and knowledge on COVID-19 positively influence depression, and finally depression negatively influences the mental health of the students. Thus, our findings supported all of the proposed hypotheses. Originality/value The research enriches the existing literature pool by contributing empirical substantiation on the role of employment anxiety, financial worries and knowledge of COVID-19 in depression, and the impact of depression on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Ashraful Alam
- Department of Human Resource Management, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Ahmed Ishmum Uddin
- Department of Human Resource Management, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Aftab Uddin
- Department of Human Resource Management, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh,Corresponding author
| | - Salma Begum
- Department of Human Resource Management, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Habibun Nahar
- Department of Human Resource Management, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Tarik Raihan
- Department of Management, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Abdul Gaffar Khan
- Department of Management, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail 1902, Bangladesh
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Lakshmi KP, Chandra S, Menon B, Radhamany K, Rajana P, Suresh P. Psychological distress in pregnant women: A cross-sectional study. ARCHIVES OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/amhs.amhs_174_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Bull's eye or typhoon eye? Psychological distress and associated factors in Wuhan and surrounding areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Glob Ment Health (Camb) 2022; 9:193-201. [PMID: 36606232 PMCID: PMC8987649 DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2022.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant psychological consequences among the public, especially for people in the epicenter. This study examined the 'bull's eye' model by comparing the level of psychological distress and the effect of different stressors in Wuhan (the original epicenter) with that in the surrounding areas in Hubei Province during the pandemic. Data were obtained from a cross-national survey of 10 478 respondents between the ages of 18 and 80 years in Hubei Province during the peak of the pandemic. Results of the ordinary least squares regression models showed that Wuhan residents experienced more psychological distress than those in the surrounding areas. Social and economic problems caused by the pandemic, risk exposure, perceived discrimination, and information-seeking behaviors were positively associated with distress. Social assistance was negatively associated with distress. Findings were consistent with the bull's eye model by revealing both a higher level of psychological distress and a stronger effect of stressors among the Wuhan residents than with those in low-risk areas. Thus, policymakers and psychological workers should provide adequate psychological services in high-risk areas. Lowering risk exposure, reducing discrimination against people in the epicenter, and improving information quality are essential to alleviate their psychological distress.
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Sharif-Esfahani P, Hoteit R, Morr CE, Tamim H. Fear of COVID-19 and Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and PTSD among Syrian Refugee Parents in Canada. J Migr Health 2022; 5:100081. [PMID: 35098193 PMCID: PMC8783986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The high frequency of COVID-19 has had an impact on the psychological health of all countries and socioeconomic groups around the world, with refugees suffering the brunt of the burden. The aim was to assess the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD among Syrian refugee parents residing in the Greater Toronto Area. Methods A convenience sample of 274 Syrian refugee parents residing in Ontario was recruited. Fear of COVID-19 was measured using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Levels of depression, anxiety, stress and PTSD were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and Primary Care PTSD screen (PC-PTSD). Multiple Linear Regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between FCV-19S and the DASS-21 subscales and PC-PTSD. Results Severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were reported by 12.2%, 26.8%, and 9.7% of participants respectively, and 24.1% screened positive for PTSD. FCV-19S was associated with higher levels of stress (β = 0.27, p = 0.006), anxiety (β = 0.40, p <0.001), depression (β = 0.32, p = 0.001) and PTSD (β = 0.04, p = 0.015). Discussion Government initiatives should consider tackling fear concerning pandemics among Syrian refugee parents to help enhance their mental well-being.
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Ross V, Mathieu S, Hawgood J, Turner K, Stapelberg NJC, Welch M, Davies A, Sveticic J, Walker S, Kõlves K. Consumer and Carer Perspectives of a Zero Suicide Prevention Program: A Qualitative Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:10634. [PMID: 34682380 PMCID: PMC8535550 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study explored the experiences of healthcare consumers who had recently attempted suicide, and their carers, following placement on a Suicide Prevention Pathway based on the Zero Suicide framework. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 consumers and 5 carers using a semi-structured interview schedule. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was applied to identify prominent themes and sub-themes. Three interrelated themes were identified. The first theme was 'Feeling safe and valued' with the associated sub-theme pertaining to perceived stigmatizing treatment and self-stigma. The second was 'Intersection of consumer and staff/organizational needs' with a related sub-theme of time pressure and reduced self-disclosure. The final theme was 'Importance of the 'whole picture', highlighting the relevance of assessing and addressing psychosocial factors when planning for consumer recovery. Overall, consumers and their carers reported a favorable experience of the Suicide Prevention Pathway; however, there were several areas identified for improvement. These included reconciling the time-pressures of a busy health service system, ensuring consumers and carers feel their psychosocial concerns are addressed, and ensuring that adequate rapport is developed. Key to this is ensuring consumers feel cared for and reducing perceptions of stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Ross
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia; (S.M.); (J.H.); (K.K.)
| | - Sharna Mathieu
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia; (S.M.); (J.H.); (K.K.)
| | - Jacinta Hawgood
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia; (S.M.); (J.H.); (K.K.)
| | - Kathryn Turner
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services, 1 Hospital Blvd, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia; (K.T.); (N.J.C.S.); (M.W.); (A.D.); (J.S.); (S.W.)
| | - Nicolas J. C. Stapelberg
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services, 1 Hospital Blvd, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia; (K.T.); (N.J.C.S.); (M.W.); (A.D.); (J.S.); (S.W.)
| | - Matthew Welch
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services, 1 Hospital Blvd, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia; (K.T.); (N.J.C.S.); (M.W.); (A.D.); (J.S.); (S.W.)
| | - Angela Davies
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services, 1 Hospital Blvd, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia; (K.T.); (N.J.C.S.); (M.W.); (A.D.); (J.S.); (S.W.)
| | - Jerneja Sveticic
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services, 1 Hospital Blvd, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia; (K.T.); (N.J.C.S.); (M.W.); (A.D.); (J.S.); (S.W.)
| | - Sarah Walker
- Mental Health and Specialist Services, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services, 1 Hospital Blvd, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia; (K.T.); (N.J.C.S.); (M.W.); (A.D.); (J.S.); (S.W.)
| | - Kairi Kõlves
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia; (S.M.); (J.H.); (K.K.)
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