1
|
Robison M, Robertson L, Joiner TE. Why did peri-pandemic suicide death rates decrease among non-Hispanic white people while increasing among most people of color? Suicide Life Threat Behav 2024; 54:762-774. [PMID: 38676429 PMCID: PMC11305907 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.13088] [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] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While suicides in the United States decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, statistically significant decreases have been limited to White people throughout a large portion of 2020. METHODS This paper outlines possible explanations for racial/ethnic differences in suicidality in the early pandemic phases. RESULTS We propose both distal (i.e., tele-mental health usage, internet and technology access, employment protections, and economic security) and proximal (cultural beliefs, coping strategies, clustering, pulling together, and embracing life) factors that may have helped build and foster community and mental wellness. However, this paper argues these factors did not extend, or did not extend as much, to many communities of color. CONCLUSIONS We argue that these disparities are due to the myriad effects of discrimination and systemic racism, encapsulated broadly by the minority stress theory, and provide suggestions for relief and research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Robison
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Lee Robertson
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - T E Joiner
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang A, Koroukian S, Owusu C, Moore SE, Momotaz H, Albert JM. Loneliness and Crowded Living Predicted Poor Health in a Sample of Cancer Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic. Clin Nurs Res 2024; 33:370-383. [PMID: 38773912 DOI: 10.1177/10547738241252889] [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] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
We investigated the influence of social determinants of health (SDOH), healthcare services, and health behaviors on mental and physical health outcomes of cancer patients between the first winter and the following post-vaccine summer of the COVID-19 pandemic. A three-wave online survey of individuals diagnosed with incident cancer between January 2019 and January 2020 was conducted between November of 2020 and August of 2021 in northeast Ohio. Descriptive analysis and mixed-effect regression analyses were performed. A total of 322 newly diagnosed cancer patients, with 40 African Americans and 282 Whites (215 from metropolitan areas and 67 nonmetropolitan) responded to the survey questions. In Wave 3 ending in August 2021, the survey respondents reported significantly reduced depression (p = .019) on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and improved global health (p = .036) on PROMIS. With age, comorbidity, and other demographic and medical variables controlled in the analyses, the feeling of loneliness (p < .001) and crowded living space (p = .001, p = .015) were the two most prominent factors associated with depression, irritability, and poor global health at baseline, with the lowest p values and persistent effect. Self-efficacy of taking preventive measures was associated with reduced depression (p = .001) and improved global health (p = .029). Increasing access to medicine (p < .01) and satisfaction with telehealth appointments (p < .01) were significantly associated with better global health and reduced irritability. Respondents who had private health insurance reported better health than those that had Medicare coverage only (p < .05). This longitudinal, observational study demonstrated the impact of SDOH on health outcomes of cancer patients. Substandard living conditions resulting in loneliness and crowdedness, quality of medical care (e.g., quality telehealth and access to medicine), and personal behaviors (e.g., self-efficacy) were significantly associated with health outcomes in newly diagnosed cancer patients during the pandemic and should be given adequate consideration for the purpose of improving clinical care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Zhang
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Siran Koroukian
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Cynthia Owusu
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Scott E Moore
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Hasina Momotaz
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Albert
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hung WC, Wu CY, Lee MB, Chan CT, Chen CY. Loneliness and suicide risks in the general population before and during first-year COVID-19 in Taiwan. J Formos Med Assoc 2024; 123:510-516. [PMID: 38307799 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2023.12.014] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Loneliness is a critical issue affecting the general population. Current evidence from national surveys of loneliness is scarce. The study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of loneliness and its associating suicide risks in Taiwan. METHODS Four annual telephone interview surveys were performed by the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center in 2015-2017 and 2020 during COVID outbreak. Each year the sample was randomly selected by stratifying the general public in different geographical areas and fulfilled a questionnaire collecting information including loneliness, psychological distress, and suicide risk assessment. All the data were analyzed using SPSS25 analysis. RESULTS A total of 8460 participants were recruited. The average prevalence of loneliness was 12.6 %. Feelings of loneliness was significantly correlated with psychological distress and most risk factors relating to suicide. The odds of loneliness for lifetime suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide attempt, and future suicide intent were 4.9, 5.1, and 9.2, respectively. During the COVID-19 period, loneliness and suicidality demonstrated a noteworthy decline trend, whereas "no one trustworthy to talk to" was the only item that showed significant increase under the pandemic and also impacted on loneliness. CONCLUSION Nearly one in ten Taiwanese people felt lonely before and during COVID-19. Loneliness was closely linked with various suicide risk factors such as lifetime suicide ideation and attempt or future intention. Although psychological distress and suicide risk were not increased during COVID-19, maintaining trustful relationships to seek support appeared to be critical to prevent the risks of loneliness or suicide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Chieh Hung
- School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-Yi Wu
- School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Taiwanese Society of Suicidology & Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ming-Been Lee
- Taiwanese Society of Suicidology & Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-Ta Chan
- Taiwanese Society of Suicidology & Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Shin Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chun-Ying Chen
- Taiwanese Society of Suicidology & Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Du W, Jia YJ, Hu FH, Ge MW, Cheng YJ, Qu X, Chen HL. Prevalence of suicidal ideation and correlated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 113 studies from 31 countries. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 166:147-168. [PMID: 37774666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.07.040] [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] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and correlated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed were searched according to a pre-set strategy. A total of 132 studies were identified, 104 of which were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was approximately 14.7% (95%CI: 12.5%, 16.8%, P < 0.01) in the general population, approximately 22.4% (95%CI: 17.1%, 27.8%, P < 0.01)in adolescents, approximately 21.0% (95%CI: 12.8%, 29.2%, P < 0.01) in psychiatric patients, approximately 20.6% (95%CI: 18.7%, 22.5%, P < 0.01)in university students, approximately 18.9% (95%CI: 8.3%, 29.5%, P < 0.01) in younger adults, approximately 10.6% (95%CI: 1.0%, 20.2%, P = 0.031) in COVID-19 patients and approximately 7.4% (95%CI: 4.3%, 10.5%, P < 0.01) in healthcare workers. The prevalence in North America was approximately 16.0% (95%CI: 13.6%-18.4%, P < 0.001), approximately 14.5% in Asia (95%CI: 9.5%-19.4%, P < 0.001), approximately 10.5% in Europe (95%CI: 8.5%-12.4%, P < 0.001), and approximately 20.5% in South America (95%CI: 19.5%-21.5%, P < 0.001). The following were risk factors which might be correlated with suicidal ideation: severe anxiety symptoms, mild to moderate depression, a strong feeling of loneliness/social isolation, poor sleep quality, having COVID-19-related experience, having quarantine or lockdown experience, being female, being single or divorced, having financial problems and having a history of suicidal ideation/attempt. This article reports the prevalence of suicidal ideation and discussing potential risk factors during the pandemic among general population and vulnerable groups. Early detection and follow-up were necessary for the noteworthy population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Du
- Nantong University Medical School, PR China
| | - Yi Jie Jia
- Nantong University Medical School, PR China
| | | | | | | | - Xin Qu
- School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hong Lin Chen
- School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Blázquez-Fernández C, Lanza-León P, Cantarero-Prieto D. A systematic review on suicide because of social isolation/and loneliness: does COVID-19 make a difference? J Public Health (Oxf) 2023; 45:680-688. [PMID: 36680431 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdad001] [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: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide is a significant cause of death worldwide. Various purposes can explain why people choose to attempt or commit suicide such as mental-health disorders, income-related-factors, quality of life or issues related to social context. This study aims to identify an updated association between 'isolation' and suicides. METHODS In this regard, we had made a systematic review of the most recent papers, published from January 2016 to March 2022, thought the most acknowledged databases. This review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews. To the best of our knowledge, this issue is very important due to the indirect relationship between COVID-19 and suicides. RESULTS Our analysis demonstrates that suicide and -social isolation and loneliness- have a positive and direct relationship although these findings varied slightly by areas. Moreover, most of the attention is focused on the youth during the most recent period and this is a real problem because economies cannot afford losing (young) population. CONCLUSIONS In order to prevent suicides, public policies should prevent suicidal thoughts that it could induce to terminate the lives of individuals in their most productive years and harmful outcomes to their families and friends.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carla Blázquez-Fernández
- Department of Economics, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
- Research Group of Health Economics and Health Services Management-Research Institute Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Paloma Lanza-León
- Department of Economics, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
- Research Group of Health Economics and Health Services Management-Research Institute Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - David Cantarero-Prieto
- Department of Economics, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
- Research Group of Health Economics and Health Services Management-Research Institute Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), 39011 Santander, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhou Z, Cheng Q. Measuring Online Social Support: Development and Validation of a Short Form for Chinese Adolescents. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192114058. [PMID: 36360936 PMCID: PMC9656139 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Supportive interactions on social media have great potential to benefit adolescents' development. However, there is no instrument to measure online social support (OSS) in China. The study aimed to develop and validate a Chinese short version of the Online Social Support Scale (OSSS). The original scale was translated into Chinese through multiple forward and backward translation protocols. The calibration sample (N = 262) was used to select items and test the reliability, validity, and internal structure of the short form. The cross-validation sample (N = 267) was then used to assess measurement invariance by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis and examine criterion validity based on its relationships with life satisfaction, depression, and time on social media. The 20-item Chinese short version of OSSS (OSSS-CS) includes four factors: esteem/emotional support, social companionship, informational support, and instrumental support. Our results suggest that the OSSS-CS has high internal consistency, construct validity, and criterion validity. Furthermore, evidence of partial cross-validity demonstrated invariance of the variance-covariance matrices, factor structure, factor loadings, and factor variance across independent samples. The results also revealed that the original OSSS could be replicated across cultures. Finally, the short form developed in the study can be used as a reliable and valid measure of online social support among the Chinese adolescent population.
Collapse
|