| Autor: |
Rajapakse T; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka.; South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka., Silva T; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka.; South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka., Hettiarachchi NM; Toxicology Unit, Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka., Gunnell D; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK.; National Institute of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oakfield House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol BS8 2BN, UK., Metcalfe C; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK., Spittal MJ; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia., Knipe D; South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka.; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK. |
| Abstrakt: |
Evidence from high-income countries suggests that the impact of COVID-19 on suicide and self-harm has been limited, but evidence from low- and middle-income countries is lacking. Using data from a hospital-based self-poisoning register (January 2019-December 2021) and data from national records (2016-2021) of suicide in Sri Lanka, we aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on both self-poisoning and suicide. We examined changes in admissions for self-poisoning and suicide using interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. For the self-poisoning hospital admission ITS models, we defined the lockdown periods as follows: (i) pre-lockdown: 01/01/2019-19/03/2020; (ii) first lockdown: 20/03/2020-27/06/2020; (iii) post-first lockdown: 28/06/2020-11/05/2021; (iv) second lockdown: 12/05/2021-21/06/2021; and (v) post-second lockdown: 22/06/2021-31/12/2021. For suicide, we defined the intervention according to the pandemic period. We found that during lockdown periods, there was a reduction in hospital admissions for self-poisoning, with evidence that admission following self-poisoning remained lower during the pandemic than would be expected based on pre-pandemic trends. In contrast, there was no evidence that the rate of suicide in the pandemic period differed from that which would be expected. As the long-term socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic are realised, it will be important to track rates of self-harm and suicide in LMICs to inform prevention. |
