Suicide in the Time of COVID‐19: A Perfect Storm

Abstract

Key words coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19, I 3 model, perfect storm theory, suicide.In this commentary, we consider a convergence of suicide risk factors amid an international crisis and introduce a new approach in understanding and preventing suicidal behaviors. Our approach is a novel theoretical framework that can guide future research to include this added dimension.Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and Kentucky. In the United States, suicide rates have steadily risen over the past 2 decades by an estimated 30%. 1 Between 2005 and 2017 suicide was the second leading cause of death in ages 25-34 and the third in 10-to 24-year-olds. Suicide rates in the United States are consistently highest for white males between 25 and 34. 2 In Kentucky, suicide was the second leading cause of death in ages 15-34 and the third in 10-to 14-yearolds. 2 White males age 18-40, who used a firearm and lived in a rural Kentucky county, made up the group with the consistently highest suicide rate; 13% of this group were known to have ever served in the military. 3 Pre-cipitating suicide circumstances between 2005 and 2017 most often included depressed mood; mental health, intimate partner, and physical health problems; and substance misuse. 3

How bad is it? Suicidality in the middle of the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Despite aggressive public health interventions in place to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) around the globe, mental health prevention and intervention practices have lagged behind. Not surprisingly, a growing number of European and Chinese COVID‐19 studies report significant mental health consequences for isolated, fragmented, and distraught populations (Brown & Schuman, 2020; Cowan, 2020; de Girolamo et al., 2020; Qui et al., 2020; Sonderskov, Dinesen, Santini, & Ostergaard, 2020; Stankovaska, Memedi, & Dimitrovski, 2020; Wang, Di, Ye, & Wei, 2020).…”

“…As the COVID‐19 pandemic unfolded, researchers began noting a potential for an unusually high level of susceptibility to extreme mental health consequences, including both suicide ideation and attempts (Brown & Schuman, 2020; Reger, Stanley, & Joiner 2020). The hypersensitivity to the novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) has added a layer of risk to personal safety as the pandemic continues to alter people’s daily lives.…”

COVID-19 and suicides in India: A pilot study of reports in the media and scientific literature

“…The ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic has wrought in its wake economic and social devastation. As people struggle to cope with the immediate and long-term consequences of the pandemic, many of the resources traditionally used to cope with stress, such as social support, are no longer available or accessible; the result is a “perfect storm” for suicide ( Brown and Schuman, 2020 ).…”

The global impact of the coronavirus pandemic

“…A study reporting on the long-term effects of SARS quarantine among healthcare workers found a long-term risk for alcohol abuse, self-medication and long-lasting "avoidance" behavior -where some hospital workers avoid being in close contact with patients by simply not showing up for work. Scientists predict that, if the pandemic continues, psychological and social effects of Covid-19 will worsen and create the "perfect storm" of conditions for suicide, especially in the most vulnerable categories, like the elderly, poor and people suffering from previous mental problems [66].…”