{"title":"Changes in severity of pediatric suicide attempts before and after coronavirus disease 2019.","authors":"Takumi Saito, Shigetoshi Ogiwara, Soichiro Wada, Takuya Tamura","doi":"10.1111/ped.15735","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and school closures were reported to have negatively impacted the mental health of children and adolescents. This study aimed to examine the change in the number and severity of pediatric suicide attempts before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study enrolled 54 patients (26 vs. 28 patients before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively) under 19 years of age who were transported to the emergency department as a result of suicide attempts between April 2017 and December 2021. The primary outcome includes the rate of serious suicide attempts (SSAs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The SSA rates were 19% (5/26) and 43% (12/28) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively (p = 0.62). The average number of transported suicide attempts per month almost doubled (0.72 vs. 1.33, respectively) and suicide attempts as a percentage of all ambulance transportations of individuals under 19 years old increased significantly from 0.95% (26/2729)to 1.98% (28/1414) (p = 0.006).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic increased the severity of pediatric suicide attempts but not to a statistically significant degree. Social preventive support and early psychological intervention are therefore needed currently and in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":20039,"journal":{"name":"Pediatrics International","volume":"66 1","pages":"e15735"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Pediatrics International","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ped.15735","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and school closures were reported to have negatively impacted the mental health of children and adolescents. This study aimed to examine the change in the number and severity of pediatric suicide attempts before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This study enrolled 54 patients (26 vs. 28 patients before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively) under 19 years of age who were transported to the emergency department as a result of suicide attempts between April 2017 and December 2021. The primary outcome includes the rate of serious suicide attempts (SSAs).
Results: The SSA rates were 19% (5/26) and 43% (12/28) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively (p = 0.62). The average number of transported suicide attempts per month almost doubled (0.72 vs. 1.33, respectively) and suicide attempts as a percentage of all ambulance transportations of individuals under 19 years old increased significantly from 0.95% (26/2729)to 1.98% (28/1414) (p = 0.006).
Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic increased the severity of pediatric suicide attempts but not to a statistically significant degree. Social preventive support and early psychological intervention are therefore needed currently and in the future.
期刊介绍:
Publishing articles of scientific excellence in pediatrics and child health delivery, Pediatrics International aims to encourage those involved in the research, practice and delivery of child health to share their experiences, ideas and achievements. Formerly Acta Paediatrica Japonica, the change in name in 1999 to Pediatrics International, reflects the Journal''s international status both in readership and contributions (approximately 45% of articles published are from non-Japanese authors). The Editors continue their strong commitment to the sharing of scientific information for the benefit of children everywhere.
Pediatrics International opens the door to all authors throughout the world. Manuscripts are judged by two experts solely upon the basis of their contribution of original data, original ideas and their presentation.