BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation can be triggered or exacerbated by psychosocial stressors including natural disasters and pandemics. AIMS: This study investigated prevalence rates and demographic and clinical correlates of self-reported passive death wishes and thoughts of self-harm among Canadians subscribing to Text4Hope; a daily supportive text message program. METHODS: A survey link was sent out to Text4Hope subscribers. Demographic information was captured and clinical data collected using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7-item (GAD-7) scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data were analysed with descriptive analysis, the chi-square test, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Responders showed an increase in prevalence rates for passive death wish and thoughts of self-harm compared to baseline Canadian statistics on suicidality. Responders aged ⩽25years, Indigenous, had less than high school education, unemployed, single, living with family, with increased anxiety, disordered sleep, and recent concerns about germs and contamination were at greatest risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that suicidal thoughts may have increased in the general population as a result of COVID-19 and signals an urgent need for public education on appropriate health seeking methods and increased access to mental and social support especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate aftermath.
BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation can be triggered or exacerbated by psychosocial stressors including natural disasters and pandemics. AIMS: This study investigated prevalence rates and demographic and clinical correlates of self-reported passive death wishes and thoughts of self-harm among Canadians subscribing to Text4Hope; a daily supportive text message program. METHODS: A survey link was sent out to Text4Hope subscribers. Demographic information was captured and clinical data collected using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7-item (GAD-7) scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data were analysed with descriptive analysis, the chi-square test, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Responders showed an increase in prevalence rates for passive death wish and thoughts of self-harm compared to baseline Canadian statistics on suicidality. Responders aged ⩽25years, Indigenous, had less than high school education, unemployed, single, living with family, with increased anxiety, disordered sleep, and recent concerns about germs and contamination were at greatest risk. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that suicidal thoughts may have increased in the general population as a result of COVID-19 and signals an urgent need for public education on appropriate health seeking methods and increased access to mental and social support especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate aftermath.
Entities:
Keywords:
COVID-19; anxiety; passive death wish; quarantine; self-harm
Authors: Gloria Obuobi-Donkor; Vincent Israel Opoku Agyapong; Ejemai Eboreime; Jennifer Bond; Natalie Phung; Scarlett Eyben; Jake Hayward; Yanbo Zhang; Frank MacMaster; Steven Clelland; Russell Greiner; Chelsea Jones; Bo Cao; Suzette Brémault-Phillips; Kristopher Wells; Xin-Min Li; Carla Hilario; Andrew J Greenshaw Journal: JMIR Res Protoc Date: 2022-04-25
Authors: Ejemai Eboreime; Arto Ohinmaa; Benjamin Rusak; Keri-Leigh Cassidy; Jason Morrison; Patrick McGrath; Rudolf Uher; Sandra Meier; Marie-Josee Fleury; Srividya N Iyer; Soham Rej; Frances Batchelor; Pazit Levinger; Christa Dang; Malcolm Hopwood; Francis N L Acquah; Janet Dzator; Gail Tomblin Murphy; Jordan Warford; Lori Wozney; Isabelle Vedel; Jacqueline Gahagan; Olga Theou; Prosper Koto; Tara Sampalli; Susan Kirkland; Nicholas Watters; Vincent I O Agyapong Journal: Gerontol Geriatr Med Date: 2022-03-01
Authors: Medard Kofi Adu; Lauren J Wallace; Kwabena F Lartey; Joshua Arthur; Kenneth Fosu Oteng; Samuel Dwomoh; Ruth Owusu-Antwi; Rita Larsen-Reindorf; Vincent I O Agyapong Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-07-02 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Ejemai Eboreime; Reham Shalaby; Wanying Mao; Ernest Owusu; Wesley Vuong; Shireen Surood; Kerry Bales; Frank P MacMaster; Diane McNeil; Katherine Rittenbach; Arto Ohinmaa; Suzette Bremault-Phillips; Carla Hilario; Russ Greiner; Michelle Knox; Janet Chafe; Jeff Coulombe; Li Xin-Min; Carla McLean; Rebecca Rathwell; Mark Snaterse; Pamela Spurvey; Valerie H Taylor; Susan McLean; Liana Urichuk; Berhe Tzeggai; Christopher McCabe; David Grauwiler; Sara Jordan; Ed Brown; Lindy Fors; Tyla Savard; Mara Grunau; Frank Kelton; Sheila Stauffer; Bo Cao; Pierre Chue; Adam Abba-Aji; Peter Silverstone; Izu Nwachukwu; Andrew Greenshaw; Vincent Israel Opoku Agyapong Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2022-03-12 Impact factor: 2.655