Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of suicide thoughts and attempts during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak and examine pandemic-related factors associated with suicide thoughts in the general Norwegian population. A sample of 4527 adults living in Norway were recruited via social media. Data related to suicide thoughts and attempts, alcohol use, pandemic-related concerns, and sociodemographic variables were collected. Associations with suicide thoughts were analyzed with logistic regression analysis. In the sample, 3.6% reported suicide thoughts during the last month, while 0.2% had attempted suicide during the same period. Previous suicide attempts (OR: 11.93, p < 0.001), lower age (OR: 0.69, p < 0.001), daily alcohol use (OR: 3.31, p < 0.001), being in the risk group for COVID-19 complications (OR: 2.15, p < 0.001), and having economic concerns related to the pandemic (OR: 2.28, p < 0.001) were associated with having current suicide thoughts. In addition to known risk factors, the study suggests that aspects specific to COVID-19 may be important for suicidal behaviors during the pandemic.
Highlights
Suicide and suicide attempts convey unbearable personal suffering, and suicides give rise to considerable, long-lasting suffering for family and close ones [1,2,3]
This study examined the prevalence of suicide thoughts and attempts during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak and examined factors associated with current suicide thoughts in the general Norwegian population
We considered that having suicide thoughts might be a longstanding problem among a proportion of the sample, knowing that many people live with such thoughts over time without progressing onto suicide attempts
Summary
Suicide and suicide attempts convey unbearable personal suffering, and suicides give rise to considerable, long-lasting suffering for family and close ones [1,2,3]. The rate of suicide in a country may be considered a crude indicator of the population’s mental health. In Norway, between 600 and 700 persons kill themselves each year [4], and it is suggested that the number of suicide attempts is approximately ten times higher [5]. Mental health policies in Norway continue to aim to reduce the population suicide rate [8]. A study in Spain followed up 1241 individuals following a first-time suicide attempt, and found that 20% of them re-attempted suicide at least once, supporting the notion that previous suicidal ideation and behaviors are major risk
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