Impact of the lockdown by the COVID-19 pandemic on suicidal trend in the Colombian Coffee Region

Abstract

Suicide is considered a Public Health issue. In 2019 the Colombian suicide rate was 5.8 per-100.000 inhabitant. Likewise, the Colombian Coffee Region has doubled the national average on these rates. On the other hand, the Pandemic COVID 19 socio-economic consequences are aggravating the risk factors that we've known about suicide. ObjectiveTo evaluate the suicidal trend in the population of the Colombian Coffee Region during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare it with a non-pandemic period. MethodsThe data were taken from the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Science for the suicidal events during the 2016–2020 period in the Colombian Coffee Region, and the Montecarlo Regression was applied using the JoinPoint Regression Program. ResultsWe found 1022 cases, most of them were men. The mean age was 34 years. The most used method was hanging in both sexes. Half of them had at least a high school degree. Half of the suicides were committed by single people. One-third of the cases had a previous mental illness. There are significant differences in the suicidal trend between the lockdown period and the non-lockdown period with a P value < 0.05. ConclusionsWe found most suicidal cases between older men and an inversely proportional relationship between education and suicidal rate. Is interesting that the most applied method for suicide for both sexes was hanging. The suicidal trend was increasing until 2020, although in the lockdown we found a decrease. In the post-lockdown period for men was a posterior increase and for women the trend has a continued decrease.