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May 14, 2024
by Patricia Tomasi

New Study Looks At Suicide Behaviours During Pandemic

May 14, 2024 08:00 by Patricia Tomasi  [About the Author]

A new study published in The Lancet looked at non-fatal suicide behaviours across phases in the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.

“Our study investigates the incidence of non-fatal suicide behaviors in Catalonia, Spain, before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” study author Dr. Victor Serrano-Gimeno told us. “We aimed to understand the patterns and fluctuations in suicide behaviors across different stages of the crisis.”

The researchers went into the study with the theory that there might be changes in non-fatal suicide behaviors corresponding to different phases of the pandemic. Specifically, they expected to see a reduction in suicide behaviors during the strict lockdown period and a potential increase following the easing of lockdown measures. They expected this as they work in emergency departments and Dr. Serrano-Gimeno also works in the Suicide Prevention program in Hospital de Sant Pau where he noticed these trends.

“We chose this study topic because the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique and significant public health crisis, impacting various aspects of society, including mental health,” Dr. Serrano-Gimeno told us. “Understanding the effects of the pandemic on suicide behaviors is crucial for informing suicide prevention efforts during and after health and socioeconomic crises. We also wanted to send a message that, during crisis (economical, health, wars, etc.) mental health is one aspect that tends to be forgotten but actually causes a lot of mortality and incapacity among the population.”

The researchers tested their theory by collecting data on non-fatal suicide behaviors from the entire Catalan population over a specified timeframe, including periods before, during, and after the lockdown. They used statistical analysis, including Bayesian structural time series modelling, to assess changes in suicide behaviors across these periods. This model is very robust as takes the exact day the conduct was committed into account.

“The results showed a reduction in non-fatal suicide behaviors during the strict lockdown period, followed by a significant increase after the easing of lockdown measures,” Dr. Serrano-Gimeno told us. “This increase was particularly notable among women and younger individuals.”

The researchers weren’t surprised by the results. They believe the study confirms with a robust statistical analysis and a huge amount of study sample what they were seeing each day in the hospital, emergency departments and in their clinical practices. Moreover, other socio-economical crises in the past have led to increases in suicidal behaviors in society.

“The results mean we have to learn something,” Dr. Serrano-Gimeno told us. “Mental health needs to become a priority in periods of socio-economical crises. We also have to recognize that suicide is not only a matter for mental health professionals, as it is highly influenced by socio-economic factors. Suicide must be adressed from an economic, social and political perspective.”

The researchers believe we need to accept that to improve the mental health population, a wider variety of perspectives need to be addressed.

About the Author

Patricia Tomasi

Patricia Tomasi is a mom, maternal mental health advocate, journalist, and speaker. She writes regularly for the Huffington Post Canada, focusing primarily on maternal mental health after suffering from severe postpartum anxiety twice. You can find her Huffington Post biography here. Patricia is also a Patient Expert Advisor for the North American-based, Maternal Mental Health Research Collective and is the founder of the online peer support group - Facebook Postpartum Depression & Anxiety Support Group - with over 1500 members worldwide. Blog: www.patriciatomasiblog.wordpress.com
Email: tomasi.patricia@gmail.com


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