Lockdowns have mostly not been associated with a large increase in suicide rates: a thread of evidence (CW: suicide, mental health) 🧵
Since this has been a major talking point throughout the pandemic, I thought I'd collate the now quite large evidence-base showing that suicide rates have mostly remained steady during lockdowns/COVID times
1. Queensland, Australia
Slight decrease in suicide rates after emergency announced, no statistical change over lockdown vs previous years thelancet.com/journals/lanps…
Slight decrease in suicide rates after emergency announced, no statistical change over lockdown vs previous years thelancet.com/journals/lanps…
2. Victoria, Australia
Suicide rates have remained steady despite the longest lockdown in the world coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/forms-resource…
Suicide rates have remained steady despite the longest lockdown in the world coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/forms-resource…
3. England, UK
No real variation in suicide rates in the period studied including pre/during/post lockdown documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?D…
No real variation in suicide rates in the period studied including pre/during/post lockdown documents.manchester.ac.uk/display.aspx?D…
4. Massachusetts, U.S.
No evidence of a large increase in suicides during lockdown medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
No evidence of a large increase in suicides during lockdown medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
5. Japan
An interesting counterfactual - no 'lockdown' implemented, and no rise in suicides during the state of emergency, but a sharp increase later in the year
An interesting counterfactual - no 'lockdown' implemented, and no rise in suicides during the state of emergency, but a sharp increase later in the year
6. New South Wales, Australia
No major change in suicide rates in 2020 compared to 2019, or during lockdown (April-June)
No major change in suicide rates in 2020 compared to 2019, or during lockdown (April-June)
7. Japan (again)
No evidence of an increase in suicides during school closures in children/adolescents sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
No evidence of an increase in suicides during school closures in children/adolescents sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
8. Peru
Suicides (and homicides) dropped during lockdown, particularly among women sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Suicides (and homicides) dropped during lockdown, particularly among women sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Important to point out here that this DOESN'T MEAN that lockdowns/government interventions have not impacted mental health, merely that they have mostly not been associated with a massive rise in suicides as was initially feared
It also doesn't mean that lockdowns definitely aren't causing individual suicides, but it does make it likely that if these are occurring they are being counterbalanced by suicides that didn't happen
Also important to point out that this certainly does not exclude the pandemic generally causing more suicides. It just shows that none of the evidence to date supports the fears of a huge increase in suicide associated with lockdown that continue to be constantly given air
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