Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated suicide risk factors in Hong Kong, which faces economic shocks and strict travel restrictions due to its unique economic structure and geographical location. However, there is a scarcity of reliable empirical evidence regarding the relationship betw...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2024-04-01
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| Series: | BMJ Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e001125.full |
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| author | Yu Jiang Anying Bai Jinjian Li Yuhang Pan |
| author_facet | Yu Jiang Anying Bai Jinjian Li Yuhang Pan |
| author_sort | Yu Jiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated suicide risk factors in Hong Kong, which faces economic shocks and strict travel restrictions due to its unique economic structure and geographical location. However, there is a scarcity of reliable empirical evidence regarding the relationship between the pandemic and suicide mortality. This study examines whether changes in the suicide rate align with COVID-19 situations and anti-COVID-19 policy events in Hong Kong, focusing on vulnerable population groups based on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.Methods Suicide data spanning 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022 were sourced from the Hong Kong Suicide Press Database. Case-level data were aggregated monthly by district. Population-weighted Poisson regression with district-level fixed effects was employed to analyse suicide patterns and their association with COVID-19 developments. Robustness checks and demographic-based heterogeneity analysis were conducted, distinguishing suicide risk among different population groups.Results A total of 4061 suicide cases were analysed, encompassing deaths and attempts. The first wave of the pandemic saw a 30% decline in suicide cases compared with the 2019 average, while the second and fifth waves witnessed increases of 33% and 51% in suicide rates, respectively. Older adults and individuals with lower socioeconomic status were particularly susceptible to the adverse effects, as evidenced by a significant rise in suicides during the fifth wave.Conclusions The findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to address the mental health needs of vulnerable populations during pandemics, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 situations and antipandemic policies on the suicide rate. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-06335090b6a447fcab4561c97a6f3d53 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2753-4294 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-06335090b6a447fcab4561c97a6f3d532025-01-29T00:20:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Public Health2753-42942024-04-012110.1136/bmjph-2024-001125Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational studyYu Jiang0Anying Bai1Jinjian Li2Yuhang Pan3Changning District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, ChinaThe Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SARInstitute for Global Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaIntroduction The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated suicide risk factors in Hong Kong, which faces economic shocks and strict travel restrictions due to its unique economic structure and geographical location. However, there is a scarcity of reliable empirical evidence regarding the relationship between the pandemic and suicide mortality. This study examines whether changes in the suicide rate align with COVID-19 situations and anti-COVID-19 policy events in Hong Kong, focusing on vulnerable population groups based on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.Methods Suicide data spanning 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022 were sourced from the Hong Kong Suicide Press Database. Case-level data were aggregated monthly by district. Population-weighted Poisson regression with district-level fixed effects was employed to analyse suicide patterns and their association with COVID-19 developments. Robustness checks and demographic-based heterogeneity analysis were conducted, distinguishing suicide risk among different population groups.Results A total of 4061 suicide cases were analysed, encompassing deaths and attempts. The first wave of the pandemic saw a 30% decline in suicide cases compared with the 2019 average, while the second and fifth waves witnessed increases of 33% and 51% in suicide rates, respectively. Older adults and individuals with lower socioeconomic status were particularly susceptible to the adverse effects, as evidenced by a significant rise in suicides during the fifth wave.Conclusions The findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions to address the mental health needs of vulnerable populations during pandemics, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 situations and antipandemic policies on the suicide rate.https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e001125.full |
| spellingShingle | Yu Jiang Anying Bai Jinjian Li Yuhang Pan Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study BMJ Public Health |
| title | Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study |
| title_full | Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study |
| title_fullStr | Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study |
| title_short | Suicide in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study |
| title_sort | suicide in hong kong during the covid 19 pandemic an observational study |
| url | https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e001125.full |
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