The effect of different degrees of lockdown and self-identified gender on anxiety, depression and suicidality during the COVID-19 pandemic: Data from the international COMET-G study.

Impact of COVID-19 on Neuropsychiatric Disorders

“…This is not only limited to COVID-19 pandemic, as such negative impacts on mental health and neuropsychiatric conditions have been seen in other global or regional shocks including wars [ 82 , 83 , 84 ], natural disasters [ 85 , 86 ], or other disease outbreaks, e.g., with Ebola [ 87 , 88 ], Zika virus [ 89 ], Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS) [ 90 , 91 ], and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) [ 90 ]. Social isolation due to lockdown or quarantine may have been particularly detrimental to individuals with neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, as social interaction and exercise may be used to regulate several symptoms of these disorders [ 46 , 92 ]. Data from an online questionnaire from 55,589 participants from 40 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed that lockdown significantly increases anxiety and depression at every degree of lockdown intensity, especially in combination with the presence of prior mental health issue [ 92 ].…”

“…Social isolation due to lockdown or quarantine may have been particularly detrimental to individuals with neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, as social interaction and exercise may be used to regulate several symptoms of these disorders [ 46 , 92 ]. Data from an online questionnaire from 55,589 participants from 40 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed that lockdown significantly increases anxiety and depression at every degree of lockdown intensity, especially in combination with the presence of prior mental health issue [ 92 ]. This emphasizes the need for a proactive intervention to protect mental health of the general population but more specifically of vulnerable groups [ 92 ].…”

“…Data from an online questionnaire from 55,589 participants from 40 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed that lockdown significantly increases anxiety and depression at every degree of lockdown intensity, especially in combination with the presence of prior mental health issue [ 92 ]. This emphasizes the need for a proactive intervention to protect mental health of the general population but more specifically of vulnerable groups [ 92 ].…”

Analyzing the changing relationship between personal consumption and suicide mortality during COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, using governmental and personal consumption transaction databases

“…In the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, psychiatrists and psychologists expressed their concern that the ongoing pandemic would adversely affect both socio-psychological and socio-economic status in unprecedented ways ( 1 – 4 ). Various studies have revealed that the pandemic has negatively affected the economy and education, in addition to public health and medical care ( 5 , 6 ).…”

“…Although these factors for suicide during the pandemic are fragmented, several specific features, such as an increase in suicides at home and by hanging (frequently carried out at their home) and the contribution of information diffusion via the Internet (predominantly exposure to younger population) indicate the possibility that specific transformed lifestyle changes, such as extended time at home (or decreased outing for contact with others) and decrease in face-to-face contact (or increasing contact via the Internet), resulted in increased suicide risk via socio-psychological deteriorations of individuals. The intensity of restriction measures predominantly deteriorated the mental health of individuals rather than the duration of restriction (repeated/intermittent restriction measures deteriorated the mental health of the same individuals) ( 4 , 34 , 35 ). However, taken together with the fact that fewer numbers of patients were infected with and died from COVID-19 in Japan, along with milder social restriction politics compared to those in Europe ( 36 – 38 ), these findings also suggest that the transformation of lifestyle plays a salient role in increasing the suicides during the pandemic.…”