Open AccessSuicide Mortality and Coronavirus Disease 2019—A Perfect Storm?
Author(s) -
Mark A. Reger,
Ian H. Stanley,
Thomas E. Joiner
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
jama psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.531
H-Index - 365
eISSN - 2168-6238
pISSN - 2168-622X
DOI - 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.1060
Subject(s) - covid-19 , storm , coronavirus , medicine , poison control , injury prevention , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , pandemic , medical emergency , disease , virology , geography , infectious disease (medical specialty) , outbreak , meteorology , pathology
Suicide rates have been rising in the US over the last 2 decades. The latest data available (2018) show the highest age-adjusted suicide rate in the US since 1941.1 It is within this context that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) struck the US. Concerning disease models have led to historic and unprecedented public health actions to curb the spread of the virus. Remarkable social distancing interventions have been implemented to fundamentally reduce human contact. While these steps are expected to reduce the rate of new infections, the potential for adverse outcomes on suicide risk is high. Actions could be taken to mitigate potential unintended consequences on suicide prevention efforts, which also represent a national public health priority.
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