Increase in suicide rates among undergraduate students in <scp>Japanese</scp> national universities during the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 pandemic

Fuse-Nagase, Yasuko; Marutani, Toshiyuki; Tachikawa, Hirokazu; Iwami, Taku; Yamamoto, Yuji; Moriyama, Toshiki; Yasumi, Katsuhiro

doi:10.1111/pcn.13293

Cited by 22 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…There was also a decrease in suicide rates in Brazil, but with an excess of suicide mortality among different age groups and sexes from the north and northeast region of the country (Orellana & Souza, 2022 ). Regarding university students, there were increases in suicide rates in Japan (Fuse-Nagase et al, 2021 ) and in suicide ideation in Germany (Brailovskaia, Teismann, Friedrich, Schneider, & Margraf, 2021 ). Although there are studies investigating suicide risk among Brazilian undergraduates, we were not able to identify investigations that have explored the trends in the rates of this outcome.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide risk among undergraduate students in Brazil in the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of the SABES-Grad national survey

Demenech

Neiva-Silva²,

Brignol³

et al. 2022

Psychol. Med.

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Background Undergraduate students present high rates of psychological distress, including suicide risk. Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this scenario may have been aggravated. Thus, the objective of the current study was to evaluate changes in the suicide risk rate from the period before to during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the factors associated with this outcome among Brazilian undergraduate students. Methods This was a nationwide survey carried out in Brazil with a cross-sectional design, including two data collection periods: a single-center in-person collection in 2019 and another multicenter online collection in 2020/2021. Data were collected using self-administered instruments. The outcome was a high risk of suicide, measured through the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Analyses were carried out on data from two periods, i.e. before and during the pandemic (bivariate analysis and interaction tests), and a model of associated factors (multivariate analysis using Poisson regression) was developed including all participating universities distributed in the five regions of Brazil. Results In total, 6716 Brazilian undergraduate students participated (996 in 2019 and 5720 in 2020/2021). The prevalence of a high suicide risk rose from 11.3% to 17.0%, especially among women and poorer individuals. The prevalence of a high risk of suicide among Brazilian undergraduates was 19.6% and was associated with several socioeconomic, academic, pandemic, and mental health factors. Conclusions The prevalence of a high suicide risk increased from prepandemic to during the pandemic, appearing to be largely influenced by social determinants, in conjunction with the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide risk among undergraduate students in Brazil in the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of the SABES-Grad national survey

Demenech

Neiva-Silva²,

Brignol³

et al. 2022

Psychol. Med.

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“…This is corroborated by monthly survey data during the early phases of the pandemic showing worsening depression and anxiety symptoms among women under the age of 40. 8 Similarly, the increased risk of suicide among young people observed by Gato and colleagues, and by others, 3,5,6,9 may reflect the fact that many young people are employed in low-skilled occupations and in precarious employment. Taken together, these findings point to economic and employment vulnerability as important risk factors for suicide at this stage of the pandemic and highlight the need to ameliorate their worst effects.…”

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confidence: 93%

COVID-19 and suicide: Evidence from Japan

Spittal¹

2022

The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific

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“…In contrast, the suicide mortality rates of graduate students in Japan were reported to slightly increase in an annual survey conducted by the Japanese National University Council of Health Administration [ 2 ]. Although the suicide mortality rate of undergraduate students in Japan has been on a downward trend since the 2013–2014 academic year, the 2020–2021 academic year had the highest rate in the last six academic years for men and in the last eight academic years for women [ 3 ]. It is speculated that the increased rates are due to the COVID-19 pandemic and not the long-standing culture of Japanese society.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lingering effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of first-year university students in Japan

2022

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Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is continuing unabated in Japan, as of October 2021. We aimed to compare first-year university students’ psychological distress before the pandemic in 2019, during the pandemic in 2020, and one year after the onset of the pandemic, in 2021. Methods The study conducted online surveys over three years from April to May each year. Participants were 400 first-year students in 2019, 766 in 2020, and 738 in 2021. We examined differences in scores on the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms—Japanese version (CCAPS-Japanese) between the three years using a one-way analysis of variance, and differences in the CCAPS-Japanese critical items using chi-squared test and residual analysis. Results The average scores on the Depression and Generalized Anxiety subscale in 2021 were significantly higher than those in 2020, but remained the same as in 2019. The Academic Distress subscale score in 2020 was the worst compared to 2019 and 2021. Meanwhile, the number of students who experienced severe suicidal ideation increased year by year from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion The mean mental health of first-year university students worsened after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovered to the pre-pandemic level over the next two years. However, the number of high-risk students with suicidal ideation continued to increase. A system is required for early detection and support for students at high risk of mental health issues.

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Increase in suicide rates among undergraduate students in Japanese national universities during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Cited by 22 publications

References 7 publications

Suicide risk among undergraduate students in Brazil in the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of the SABES-Grad national survey

Suicide risk among undergraduate students in Brazil in the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of the SABES-Grad national survey

COVID-19 and suicide: Evidence from Japan

Lingering effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of first-year university students in Japan

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