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Table 2 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts, death rates and trends

From: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal attempts and death rates: a systematic review

Study (author and year)

Suicidal deaths (SD)/ suicidal attempts (SA) during COVID-19

Number of events during the corresponding period of the previous year (2019)

Method of suicide/ suicidal attempts

Previous history of attempts

The trend of suicides/ suicidal attempts during COVID pandemic

Ammerman et al., 2021 [30]

SA: 44 (4.9%)

NR

NR

NR

NR

Bergmans and Larson 2021 [22]

SA and Intentional self-harm: 1348

October 1st, 2015 to March 9th, 2020: 9405

NR

NR

SA and Intentional self-harm: Decreased

Carlin et al., 2021 [31]

SA: 23 (35.4%)

2019: 8

Jump from a height 10 (43.5%);

Jump in front of a moving object 2 (8.7%);

Cutting 6 (26.1%);

Driving off the street 1 (4.3%);

Self-immolation 1 (4.3%);

Hanging 2 (8.7%);

Ingestion of poison, harmful substance etc. 1 (4.3%)

NR

SA: Increased

Chiba et al., 2020 [32]

SA: 36 (3%)

2019: 26

NR

NR

SA: Increased

Choudhury, 2020 [23]

SD: 59

NR

Hanging 55(93.2%); Poisoning 2 (3.3%);

Drowning 2 (3.3%)

NR

NR

Daly et al., 2021 [33]

Deliberate self-harm: 48 (1.6%)

NR

NR

NR

NR

Faust et al., 2021 [24]

SD: 139

2019: 166

NR

NR

SD: No change

Hill et al., 2021 [34]

SA: 286 (2.2%)

2019: 268

NR

NR

SA: Increased during some months (corresponds to COVID-19–related stressors and community responses were heightened)

Holland et al., 2021 [35]

SA: 5029

2019; 4614

NR

NR

SA: Increased

Isumi et al., 2021 [25]

SD: Only the rates presented- March 0.229, April 0.201, May 0.216 per 100,000)

NR

NR

NR

SD: No change

Mitchell & Li 2021 [26]

SD: 74 (Age adjusted suicidal rate in 2020- 9.4 per 100,000 persons)

2014 to 2019; 495 (Total)

Suffocation- 35 (47.3%)

Firearm- 21 (28.4%)

Poisoning- 13 (17.6%)

Other—5 (6.8%)

NR

SD: Decreased

Nomura et al., 2021 [27]

SD: 15,066

2019; 15,520

NR

NR

SD: Decreased during the time of crisis but increased after the immediate crisis has passed

Ontiveros et al., 2021 [36]

SA: 5807

2018 and 2019; 13,800 (Total)

Ingestion of poison

NR

SA: Decreased

Radeloff et al., 2021 [28]

SD: 53

2010 to 2019; 590 (Total)

NR

NR

SD: Not changed

Sakamoto et al., 2021 [29]

SD: 17,794

2016 to 2019; 12,398 (total of monthly mean number from)

NR

NR

SD: Increased

Sengupta et al., 2020 [37]

SD: 110 (February to April 2020); April 2020: 50

SD: 33 (April 2019)

Burns-10 (9.1%)

Hanging- 80 (72.7%)

Poisoning-15 (13.7%)

Others- 5 (4.5%)

NR

SD: Increased

*The number of suicide cases during the first month of the lockdown following the pandemic has drastically increased compared to a couple of months prior

Shrestha et al., 2021 [39]

SD & Self-harm: 55

2019; 38

Poisoning 47 (85.5%), Drug overdose 4 (7.3%), Hanging 4 (7.3%)

NR

SD and Self-harm: Increased

Yeates et al., 2021 [38]

SA: 125 (1.9%)

2019; 120 (1.6%)

NR

NR

SA: No change

  1. SD Suicidal deaths, SA Suicidal attempts, NR Not reported