The development of suicide risk in people with severe mental disorders during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a claims-based cohort study
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The development of suicide risk in people with severe mental disorders during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a claims-based cohort study. / Engels, Alexander; Stein, Janine; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G; Konnopka, Claudia; König, Hans-Helmut.
In: SOC PSYCH PSYCH EPID, Vol. 59, No. 7, 07.2024, p. 1193-1200.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The development of suicide risk in people with severe mental disorders during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a claims-based cohort study
AU - Engels, Alexander
AU - Stein, Janine
AU - Riedel-Heller, Steffi G
AU - Konnopka, Claudia
AU - König, Hans-Helmut
PY - 2024/7
Y1 - 2024/7
N2 - PURPOSE: In this study, we assess how the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the suicide risk of patients with severe mental disorders in Germany.METHODS: We analyzed German health insurance claims data to compare the suicide risk of patients with severe mental disorders before and during the pandemic. We included n = 690,845 patients between October 2019 and March 2020 and n = 693,457 patients the corresponding period of the previous year and applied entropy balancing to adjust for confounding covariates. Given that the cause of death was unknown, we defined potential suicides as deaths of patients with a history of intentional self-harm whose passing could not be explained by COVID-19. Potential suicides were tracked in both cohorts over one year and compared using logistic regression.RESULTS: 128 potential suicides were identified in the period during and 101 before the pandemic. This corresponded to a significant increase in the risk for potential suicide of 27.4% compared to the control period (β = 0.24, z = 1.82, p < 0.05).CONCLUSION: The noticeable increase in the risk for potential suicide for patients with severe pre-existing mental disorders emphasizes the call for additional efforts to prevent suicide and to help patients cope with their mental illness in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
AB - PURPOSE: In this study, we assess how the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the suicide risk of patients with severe mental disorders in Germany.METHODS: We analyzed German health insurance claims data to compare the suicide risk of patients with severe mental disorders before and during the pandemic. We included n = 690,845 patients between October 2019 and March 2020 and n = 693,457 patients the corresponding period of the previous year and applied entropy balancing to adjust for confounding covariates. Given that the cause of death was unknown, we defined potential suicides as deaths of patients with a history of intentional self-harm whose passing could not be explained by COVID-19. Potential suicides were tracked in both cohorts over one year and compared using logistic regression.RESULTS: 128 potential suicides were identified in the period during and 101 before the pandemic. This corresponded to a significant increase in the risk for potential suicide of 27.4% compared to the control period (β = 0.24, z = 1.82, p < 0.05).CONCLUSION: The noticeable increase in the risk for potential suicide for patients with severe pre-existing mental disorders emphasizes the call for additional efforts to prevent suicide and to help patients cope with their mental illness in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.
U2 - 10.1007/s00127-023-02584-z
DO - 10.1007/s00127-023-02584-z
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 37996604
VL - 59
SP - 1193
EP - 1200
JO - SOC PSYCH PSYCH EPID
JF - SOC PSYCH PSYCH EPID
SN - 0933-7954
IS - 7
ER -
