Suicide behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 54 studies

Justin P. Dubé; Martin M. Smith; Simon B. Sherry; Paul L. Hewitt; Sherry H. Stewart

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113998

Suicide behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 54 studies

Justin P. Dubé, Martin M. Smith, Simon B. Sherry, Paul L. Hewitt, Sherry H. Stewart

Medicine

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

208 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Article number	113998
Journal	Psychiatry Research
Volume	301
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113998
Publication status	Published - Jul 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
No conflict of interest or declaration of interest was reported by the authors. This study was funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded to Dr. Simon Sherry (grant # 358001). Dr. Sherry Stewart was supported through a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Addiction and Mental Health. Dr. Martin Smith was supported through doctoral awards from The University of British Columbia. Justin Dubé was supported by a Canadian Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The funding source had no role in any aspect of the study, including the decision to submit the study for publication.

Funding Information:
The authors thank Kayla Goruk and Louise Gillis for their research assistance.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Psychiatry and Mental health
Biological Psychiatry

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article
Meta-Analysis
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113998

Cite this

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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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note = "Funding Information: No conflict of interest or declaration of interest was reported by the authors. This study was funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded to Dr. Simon Sherry (grant # 358001). Dr. Sherry Stewart was supported through a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Addiction and Mental Health. Dr. Martin Smith was supported through doctoral awards from The University of British Columbia. Justin Dub{\'e} was supported by a Canadian Graduate Scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The funding source had no role in any aspect of the study, including the decision to submit the study for publication. Funding Information: The authors thank Kayla Goruk and Louise Gillis for their research assistance. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier B.V.",

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Suicide behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 54 studies

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

PubMed: MeSH publication types

UN SDGs

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