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Suicide behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 54 studies.
Dubé, Justin P; Smith, Martin M; Sherry, Simon B; Hewitt, Paul L; Stewart, Sherry H.
  • Dubé JP; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2.
  • Smith MM; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4.
  • Sherry SB; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2. Electronic address: Simon.Sherry@dal.ca.
  • Hewitt PL; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4.
  • Stewart SH; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2; Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 8th floor, Abbie J. Lane Building, 5909 Veterans' Memorial Lane, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2E2.
Psychiatry Res ; 301: 113998, 2021 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1475002
ABSTRACT
COVID-19, and efforts to mitigate its spread, are creating extensive mental health problems. Experts have speculated the mental, economic, behavioral, and psychosocial problems linked to the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to a rise in suicide behavior. However, a quantitative synthesis is needed to reach an overall conclusion regarding the pandemic-suicide link. In the most comprehensive test of the COVID-19-suicidality link to date, we meta-analyzed data from 308,596 participants across 54 studies. Our results suggested increased event rates for suicide ideation (10.81%), suicide attempts (4.68%), and self-harm (9.63%) during the COVID-19 pandemic when considered against event rates from pre-pandemic studies. Moderation analysis indicated younger people, women, and individuals from democratic countries are most susceptible to suicide ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers and helping professionals are advised that suicide behaviors are alarmingly common during the COVID-19 pandemic and vary based upon age, gender, and geopolitics. Strong protections from governments (e.g., implementing best practices in suicide prevention) are urgently needed to reduce suicide behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Suicide, Attempted / Suicidal Ideation / COVID-19 / Suicide Prevention Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research / Reviews Limits: Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Psychiatry Res Year: 2021 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Suicide, Attempted / Suicidal Ideation / COVID-19 / Suicide Prevention Type of study: Observational study / Qualitative research / Reviews Limits: Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Psychiatry Res Year: 2021 Document Type: Article