Ann John1,2, Julian P T Higgins3,4,5, David Gunnell4,5, Emily Eyles3,4, Roger T Webb6,7, Chukwudi Okolie1,2, Lena Schmidt4, Ella Arensman8, Keith Hawton9,10, Rory C O'Connor11, Nav Kapur6,7,12, Paul Moran4,5, Siobhan O'Neill13, Luke A McGuiness4, Babatunde K Olorisade4, Dana Dekel1, Catherine Macleod-Hall4, Hung-Yuan Cheng4. 1. Population Psychiatry, Suicide and Informatics, Swansea University, Swansea, UK. 2. Public Health Wales NHS Trust, Swansea, UK. 3. National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West) at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK. 4. Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. 5. National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. 6. Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. 7. NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Manchester, UK. 8. School of Public Health and National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. 9. University Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. 10. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK. 11. Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. 12. Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK. 13. School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK.
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable morbidity, mortality and disruption to people's lives around the world. There are concerns that rates of suicide and suicidal behaviour may rise during and in its aftermath. Our living systematic review synthesises findings from emerging literature on incidence and prevalence of suicidal behaviour as well as suicide prevention efforts in relation to COVID-19, with this iteration synthesising relevant evidence up to 19 th October 2020. Method: Automated daily searches feed into a web-based database with screening and data extraction functionalities. Eligibility criteria include incidence/prevalence of suicidal behaviour, exposure-outcome relationships and effects of interventions in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes of interest are suicide, self-harm or attempted suicide and suicidal thoughts. No restrictions are placed on language or study type, except for single-person case reports. We exclude one-off cross-sectional studies without either pre-pandemic measures or comparisons of COVID-19 positive vs. unaffected individuals. Results: Searches identified 6,226 articles. Seventy-eight articles met our inclusion criteria. We identified a further 64 relevant cross-sectional studies that did not meet our revised inclusion criteria. Thirty-four articles were not peer-reviewed (e.g. research letters, pre-prints). All articles were based on observational studies. There was no consistent evidence of a rise in suicide but many studies noted adverse economic effects were evolving. There was evidence of a rise in community distress, fall in hospital presentation for suicidal behaviour and early evidence of an increased frequency of suicidal thoughts in those who had become infected with COVID-19. Conclusions: Research evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on suicidal behaviour is accumulating rapidly. This living review provides a regular synthesis of the most up-to-date research evidence to guide public health and clinical policy to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on suicide risk as the longer term impacts of the pandemic on suicide risk are researched. Copyright:
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable morbidity, mortality and disruption to people's lives around the world. There are concerns that rates of suicide and suicidal behaviour may rise during and in its aftermath. Our living systematic review synthesises findings from emerging literature on incidence and prevalence of suicidal behaviour as well as suicide prevention efforts in relation to COVID-19, with this iteration synthesising relevant evidence up to 19 th October 2020. Method: Automated daily searches feed into a web-based database with screening and data extraction functionalities. Eligibility criteria include incidence/prevalence of suicidal behaviour, exposure-outcome relationships and effects of interventions in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes of interest are suicide, self-harm or attempted suicide and suicidal thoughts. No restrictions are placed on language or study type, except for single-person case reports. We exclude one-off cross-sectional studies without either pre-pandemic measures or comparisons of COVID-19 positive vs. unaffected individuals. Results: Searches identified 6,226 articles. Seventy-eight articles met our inclusion criteria. We identified a further 64 relevant cross-sectional studies that did not meet our revised inclusion criteria. Thirty-four articles were not peer-reviewed (e.g. research letters, pre-prints). All articles were based on observational studies. There was no consistent evidence of a rise in suicide but many studies noted adverse economic effects were evolving. There was evidence of a rise in community distress, fall in hospital presentation for suicidal behaviour and early evidence of an increased frequency of suicidal thoughts in those who had become infected with COVID-19. Conclusions: Research evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on suicidal behaviour is accumulating rapidly. This living review provides a regular synthesis of the most up-to-date research evidence to guide public health and clinical policy to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on suicide risk as the longer term impacts of the pandemic on suicide risk are researched. Copyright:
Authors: Ann John; Julian P T Higgins; David Gunnell; Emily Eyles; Roger T Webb; Chukwudi Okolie; Lena Schmidt; Ella Arensman; Keith Hawton; Rory C O'Connor; Nav Kapur; Paul Moran; Siobhan O'Neill; Luke A McGuiness; Babatunde K Olorisade; Dana Dekel; Catherine Macleod-Hall; Hung-Yuan Cheng Journal: F1000Res Date: 2020-09-04
Authors: Alicia Edith Hermosillo-de-la-Torre; Stephania Montserrat Arteaga-de-Luna; Denise Liliana Acevedo-Rojas; Angélica Juárez-Loya; José Alberto Jiménez-Tapia; Francisco Javier Pedroza-Cabrera; Catalina González-Forteza; Manuel Cano; Fernando A Wagner Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-05-07 Impact factor: 3.390