Suicide deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, by region, March 1, 2020-June 30, 2022 (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Introduction: There were concerns that suicide deaths might increase due to Covid-19 pandemic-related stressors. Previous research demonstrated that suicide deaths actually decreased in 2020 in the US. An update covering 2021-2022 with regional data is warranted. Methods: Observational cohort, US and regional data. Expected monthly deaths were modeled using pre-pandemic US and regional data (2015-2020). Mortality data was accessed from CDC public reporting. Results: We find that suicide deaths in the United States were below expected levels throughout the pandemic period (March 1, 2020-June 30,2022) with >4,100 fewer suicide deaths than would have been expected to occur during the study period. Stratifying suicide mortality by US Census Bureau region yielded statistically significant decreases from expected suicide deaths in all regions except the Midwest, (which recorded no significant change in suicide deaths during the overall pandemic period). Conclusion: Suicide mortality is down in the US since the pandemic began, through June 30, 2022. Possible explanations include an early 'coming together' effect; Later, increased access to mental health resources and a greater focus on mental health in the media may have reduced stigma and barriers in seeking necessary psychiatric care.