Police-reported suicides during the first 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador: A time-series analysis of trends and risk factors until June 2021.
COVID-19
Ecuador
Risk factors
Suicide
Journal
Lancet regional health. Americas
ISSN: 2667-193X
Titre abrégé: Lancet Reg Health Am
Pays: England
ID NLM: 9918232503006676
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Oct 2022
Oct 2022
Historique:
entrez:
1
8
2022
pubmed:
2
8
2022
medline:
2
8
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
There are widespread concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic may increase suicides. Few studies have analysed effects beyond the pandemic's early months or examined changes in known suicide risk factors. Using time series models fit with Poisson regression, we analysed monthly police-reported suicides in Ecuador from January 2015 to June 2021. Treating March 2020 as the start of the pandemic, we calculated rate ratios (RRs) comparing the observed to the expected number of suicides for the total population and by age and sex groups. We investigated changes in risk factors, precipitants, geographic distribution, and suicide methods. There was no evidence that suicide rates were higher than expected during the pandemic (RR 0·97 [95% CI 0·92-1·02]). There was some evidence of fewer than expected male suicides (RR 0·95 [95% CI 0·90-1·00]). The proportion of suicides occurring in urban and coastal areas increased but decreased amongst indigenous and other minorities. The proportions of suicides with evidence of alcohol consumption, disability, and amongst married and cohabiting individuals decreased, whereas suicides where mental health problems were considered contributory increased. There were relative increases in the proportion of suicides by hanging but decreases in self-poisoning and other suicide methods. The pandemic did not appear to adversely impact overall suicide numbers nationwide during the first 16 months of the pandemic. Reduced alcohol consumption may have contributed to the decline in male suicides. None.
Sections du résumé
Background
UNASSIGNED
There are widespread concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic may increase suicides. Few studies have analysed effects beyond the pandemic's early months or examined changes in known suicide risk factors.
Methods
UNASSIGNED
Using time series models fit with Poisson regression, we analysed monthly police-reported suicides in Ecuador from January 2015 to June 2021. Treating March 2020 as the start of the pandemic, we calculated rate ratios (RRs) comparing the observed to the expected number of suicides for the total population and by age and sex groups. We investigated changes in risk factors, precipitants, geographic distribution, and suicide methods.
Findings
UNASSIGNED
There was no evidence that suicide rates were higher than expected during the pandemic (RR 0·97 [95% CI 0·92-1·02]). There was some evidence of fewer than expected male suicides (RR 0·95 [95% CI 0·90-1·00]). The proportion of suicides occurring in urban and coastal areas increased but decreased amongst indigenous and other minorities. The proportions of suicides with evidence of alcohol consumption, disability, and amongst married and cohabiting individuals decreased, whereas suicides where mental health problems were considered contributory increased. There were relative increases in the proportion of suicides by hanging but decreases in self-poisoning and other suicide methods.
Interpretation
UNASSIGNED
The pandemic did not appear to adversely impact overall suicide numbers nationwide during the first 16 months of the pandemic. Reduced alcohol consumption may have contributed to the decline in male suicides.
Funding
UNASSIGNED
None.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35912285
doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100324
pii: S2667-193X(22)00141-7
pmc: PMC9310552
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
100324Informations de copyright
© 2022 The Authors.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Matthew Spittal is a recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (project number FT180100075) funded by the Australian Government. David Gunnell receives funding support from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. Stuart Leske is a recipient of a grant from Queensland Health. The other authors declare no competing interests.
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