Suicide risk and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic

The mental health effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic might be profound  and there are suggestions that suicide rates will rise, although this is not inevitable. Suicide is likely to become a more pressing concern as the pandemic spreads and has longer-term effects on the general population, the economy, and vulnerable groups. Preventing suicide therefore needs urgent consideration. The response must capitalise on, but extend beyond, general mental health policies and practices.
There is some evidence that deaths by suicide increased in the USA during the 1918–19 influenza pandemic  and among older people in Hong Kong during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic. The current context is different and evolving. A wide-ranging interdisciplinary response that recognises how the pandemic might heighten risk and applies knowledge about effective suicide prevention approaches is key. Selective, indicated, and universal interventions are required