Study on the correlation between suicide rates and the COVID-19 pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2317-2770.v27i1p09-17Keywords:
Suicide, Coronavirus, Pandemics, Social Isolation, DepressionAbstract
Introduction: The imposition of quarantine in São Paulo due to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning on March 24, 2020, brought social and economic problems that contributed to an increased risk of mental health disorders, including suicidal self-injury. Objective: To compare the rates of hospitalization and death by suicide in the state of São Paulo before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, correlating the results with the victims' sex, age group, and skin color/race. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out with data from the Unified Health System (SIH/SUS) on hospital morbidity due to external causes and hospitalization, for the state of São Paulo, from 2017 to 2020, in the months of April to December (ICD-10 - X60 to X84). Two groups were established: pre-pandemic (2017 to 2019) and post-pandemic (2020). The data were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS® Version 22.2. Results: The results show 9,930 admissions and 416 deaths due to self-inflicted injury. Average number of hospitalizations were higher in the pre-pandemic period (278 per month) compared to the pandemic period (230.5 per month) (t(34)= 2.630; p=0.013); the average number of deaths in the post-pandemic period was higher (14.50 per month) (t(34)= -3.104; p=0.004) compared with the pre-pandemic period (11 per month). The results showed no difference between the periods studied when correlating hospitalizations with sociodemographic data (sex: p=0.661; age group: p=0.658; skin color: p=0.913) or death with sociodemographic data (sex: p=0.861; age group: p=0.663; skin color: p=0.761). Conclusion: The results showed a reduction in the average hospitalizations for voluntary self-injury between the pre- and post-pandemic periods. However, the average number of deaths by suicide was higher in the pandemic period. That could mean greater effectiveness of suicidal self-injury during the pandemic. The results showed no difference between the periods studied when correlating hospitalizations and deaths with sociodemographic data.
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