Reasons and trends in youth's suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic

Goto, Ryunosuke; Okubo, Yusuke; Skokauskas, Norbert

doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100567

Cited by 44 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(48 reference statements)

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“…Later in the pandemic, students were still asked to refrain from gathering and socializing at schools and extracurricular activities [ 9 ]. Possibly reflecting this, suicides attributed to social concerns increased in Japan from summer 2020, underscoring the importance of regular social interactions [ 29 ]. To protect the mental well-being of youth during a pandemic, opportunities for regular social interactions may be beneficial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time trends in emotional well-being and self-esteem in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Goto

Piedvache

Hangai

et al. 2022

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

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Objective Given their unique COVID-19 pandemic experience, it is necessary to evaluate the mental health of youth beyond the initial stages of the pandemic, in relation to the stringency of the social distancing measures. We aimed to describe long-term trends in emotional well-being and self-esteem among youth in Japan during the pandemic. Method Using serial cross-sectional data from April 2020 to December 2021, we evaluated the trends in emotional well-being and self-esteem of youth aged 6–17 years using the self-report KINDL questionnaire, weighted to represent the age and gender distributions in the Japanese population. We then tested the associations between emotional well-being and self-esteem and stringency of social distancing policies, measured using the Oxford COVID-19 Stringency Index. Analyses were also stratified by gender and age group. Results The emotional well-being and self-esteem of youth improved transiently in 2020, followed by a slight worsening trend into 2021. While emotional well-being stayed lower compared to initial levels nearly 2 years into the pandemic, self-esteem began to improve by late 2021. 12–17 year-olds had lower emotional well-being and self-esteem compared to 6–11 year-olds throughout the study period. Females had lower emotional well-being than males in May 2020 and lower self-esteem than males in May and September/October 2020. More stringent social distancing measures were associated with lower emotional well-being and self-esteem, especially 6–11 year-olds’ self-esteem and females’ emotional well-being. Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, older youth tended to have lower emotional well-being and self-esteem than younger youth. Younger and female youth were especially vulnerable to stringent social distancing measures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time trends in emotional well-being and self-esteem in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Goto

Piedvache

Hangai

et al. 2022

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Studies have steadily shown that the suicidal rate among youth escalated during the pandemic, especially in the early months when the lockdown was implemented as a countermeasure while vaccines were still in their infancy of research and development. [51][52][53][54] A study in Japan reported a 1.86-fold surge relative to the pre-pandemic level, and U.S. data pointed to a 31% increase in suicide attempts requiring emergency department visits. Notably, girls and those with mental illness were disproportionately affected, with 51% higher emergency visits and more than 5 folds mental illness-related suicides, respectively.…”

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Adolescent Suicidal Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notably, girls and those with mental illness were disproportionately affected, with 51% higher emergency visits and more than 5 folds mental illness-related suicides, respectively. 52,53 Although the suicide rate has since plateaued and decreased in the subsequent time-course of the pandemic, it remains elevated compared to pre-pandemic time. 52…”

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Adolescent Suicidal Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of Lockdown during COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical and Mental Health of Adolescents

Charatcharoenwitthaya

Niltwat

2022

Siriraj Med J

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The COVID-19 pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime incident whose impact touched everyone from all walks of life. Such an unparalleled global event warranted unprecedented measures to mitigate the imminent public health catastrophe and protect risk groups. However, these actions have inevitably marginalized the physical and mental health of adolescents who were at a lower threat of adverse physical outcomes from COVID-19 infection. Restrictive public health measures resulted in disruption of routines from the closure of the school and public spaces, social isolation, loneliness, lack of engagement, and boredom. These impacts culminated in physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyle, eating disorders, and obesity and led to physical changes that have long-term implications. Equally, the substantial psychological stress of the pandemic resulted in an increased report of anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and suicide attempts among adolescents in both previously healthy and those with pre-existing mental conditions. This narrative review provides a brief overview of the current evidence of the physical and mental impact of the pandemic lockdown on adolescent health and discussed interventional implications.

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“…Published in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific , Goto and colleagues 7 focus on young people (aged 10-19 years), examining both the timing of changes in suicide rates and possible explanations for changes they observed. Using an interrupted time series design, they show that youth suicide rates began increasing in April 2020 until a peak in September, and then declined.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 and suicide: Evidence from Japan

Spittal¹

2022

The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific

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Reasons and trends in youth's suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 44 publications

References 32 publications

Time trends in emotional well-being and self-esteem in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Time trends in emotional well-being and self-esteem in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Impact of Lockdown during COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical and Mental Health of Adolescents

COVID-19 and suicide: Evidence from Japan

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