Changes of violent suicide attempts during the first two years of COVID-19 pandemic in Dr. Manninger Jenő National Traumatology Center, Hungary.

Abstract

During the pandemic years in Hungary, the completed suicide rates have risen significantly. Violent suicide attempts represent the majority of completed suicides. In our study, we analyzed the change of the number of inpatients treated in Dr. Manninger Jenő National Traumatology Center between 2016 and 2021 due to violent suicide attempts, focusing on the trend in the first two years of the pandemic outbreak. We used an interrupted time-series analysis with Prais-Winsten regression, controlling autoagressive and seasonal effects, to estimate the effect of the pandemic on the violent suicide attempt rates in our sample. In the first two pandemic years, the number of inpatients treated in Dr. Manninger Jenő National Traumatology Center due to violent suicide attempts rose significantly, compared to the previous years. After the rapid rise observed in 2020, decreasing numbers were seen in 2021. Analyzing the numbers of violent suicide attempts between 2016 and 2021, an increase in the number of attempts was observed during the first two pandemic years. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(26): 1003-1011.