Suicide and quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic: Do we know everything?

Duarte, Fabián; Jiménez-Molina, Álvaro

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115253

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…It is noteworthy to mention that “Suicide-related” RSVs are lower as compared to the previous year. Our result is in line with the previous studies in developed economies (Duarte and Jiménez-Molina, 2022). However, it is positively related to COVID-19 cases and deaths in India.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 94%

The COVID-19 pandemic and Google Search Trends

Alam,

Aziz,

Ansari

2024

JPMH

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Purpose This paper aims to investigate the association of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths with mental health, unemployment and financial markets-related search terms for the USA, the UK, India and worldwide using Google Trends. Design/methodology/approach The authors use Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients to assess the relationship between relative search volumes (RSVs) and mental health, unemployment and financial markets-related search terms, with the total confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as deaths in the USA, UK, India and worldwide. The sample period starts from the day 100 cases were reported for the first time, which is 7 March 2020, 13 March 2020, 23 March 2020 and 28 January 2020 for the US, the UK, India and worldwide, respectively, and ends on 25 June 2020. Findings The results indicate a significant increase in anxiety, depression and stress leading to sleeping disorders or insomnia, further deteriorating mental health. The RSVs of employment are negatively significant, implying that people are hesitant to search for new jobs due to being susceptible to exposure, imposed lockdown and social distancing measures and changing employment patterns. The RSVs for financial terms exhibit the varying associations of COVID-19 cases and deaths with the stock market, loans, rent, etc. Research limitations/implications This study has implications for the policymakers, health experts and the government. The state governments must provide proper medical facilities and holistic care to the affected population. It may be noted that the findings of this study only lead us to conclude about the relationship between COVID-19 cases and deaths and Google Trends searches, and do not as such indicate the effect on actual behaviour. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate the relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the USA, UK and India and at the global level and RSVs for mental health-related, job-related and financial keywords.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 94%

The COVID-19 pandemic and Google Search Trends

Alam,

Aziz,

Ansari

2024

JPMH

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“…We find meaningful decreases in suicide rates across different demographics, with individuals in their 20s, particularly women, representing notable exceptions. The decrease in suicide rates during the pandemic is not surprising, as the impact of COVID-19 on suicide rates has been heterogeneous by country [6,12,17]. Our findings contrast with those of the literature documenting the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health issues worldwide.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 94%

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Suicide: Evidence from South Korea

Kim,

Kim

2024

Preprint

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Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic led to public health crises beyond the direct casualties from the virus itself. This study assesses the impact of COVID-19 on suicide rates in South Korea, which implemented effective policy interventions against COVID-19 and has one of the highest suicide rates among member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Study design A county fixed effects model. Methods We analyze county-level data covering the 2017-2022 period from the National Statistical Office of Korea and use a county fixed effects model. The primary outcome is the suicide rate per 100,000 population. Our main analysis compares pre-pandemic suicide rates (2019) with those during the pandemic (2020-2022) at bimonthly frequency, focusing on the population aged 20-59 years. Results We find that, in contrast to the initial global concerns about potential increases in suicide because of pandemic-related stress, suicide rates significantly decreased during the pandemic. However, this trend was not uniform: young women experienced fluctuating suicide rates, highlighting a demographic-specific impact. The study also finds that both people who died by suicide and people who died of other causes were more likely to have a college diploma and were less likely to be married. Additionally, there are mixed results regarding the location of death. Overall, the pandemic appears to have had a complex effect on suicide behaviors in South Korea. Conclusions The findings underscore the need for targeted mental health interventions, especially for vulnerable groups such as young women. The findings also emphasize the importance of considering demographic-specific responses in public health strategies to better address the mental health consequences of large-scale crises.

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“…Several studies have stated that suicides decreased when restrictive measures were taken ( Duarte and Jiménez-Molina, 2022 ). For example, the main protective factors against suicide include, related to mobility, family support and bonding with significant others ( O'Connor and Nock, 2014 ), and quarantine conditions increased time spent with others, strengthening family relationships ( Evans et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%