How has COVID-19 affected suicidality in the US? Research
Image Credit: Brakpan Herald
ISLAMABAD, July 28 (online): In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect storm for poor mental health. It has created fear, social isolation, physical distance, financial concerns, and more. It is no surprise this period of our lives has impacted mental health on a global scale.
Suicidality refers to suicidal ideation, where someone thinks about taking their own life, suicide plans, and suicide attempts.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, researchers began noting the potential for an unusually high level of susceptibility to extreme mental health consequences, including both suicide ideation and attempts,” write the study authors.
They continue: “People are generally fearful of COVID-19 and its devastating impact on families and communities, but such fear has become entangled with the added burden of rising unemployment, limited supplies of household goods, long lines at food pantries, and limited access to social and health-related services.”
In their investigation in suicidality and associated risk factors, the researchers took questionnaire data from 10,368 adults. The 20-minute survey collected information about the participants’ fears and anxieties around COVID-19, attitudes and perceptions of the coronavirus, physical and mental health, and food security.
The poll also gathered information about the respondents’ race, sex, and home situation, for instance, whether they live with children.
Overall, the average score on the SBQ-R was 4, which falls into the low risk category. However, 10% scored 5–7, which is classed as moderate risk, and 15% scored more than 7, which indicates a high risk.
The authors compared groups to understand which sections of the population were more likely to fall into the higher risk category. They found that Black people, Indigenous Americans, and Hispanic people were more likely to score above 7 in the SBQ-R than white people.
Similarly, individuals who were born outside the U.S. were more likely to score above 7 than those born in the country.
Stay tuned to Baaghi TV for latest news and updates!
