文章基本信息

标题：Emergency Dispatches for Suicide Attempts During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Okayama, Japan: A Descriptive Epidemiological Study
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作者：Hiroshi Habu ; Soshi Takao ; Ryohei Fujimoto 等
期刊名称：Journal of Epidemiology
印刷版ISSN：0917-5040
电子版ISSN：1349-9092
出版年度：2021
卷号：31
期号：9
页码：511-517
DOI：10.2188/jea.JE20210066
语种：English
出版社：Japan Epidemiological Association
摘要：Background Hardships associated with the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can affect mental health, potentially leading to increased risk of suicide. We examined the relationship between the COVID-19 outbreak and suicide attempts in Okayama, Japan using information from emergency dispatches. Methods This was a descriptive epidemiological study. We collected information on emergency dispatches in Okayama City and Kibichuo from March to August in 2018, 2019, and 2020 ( n = 47,770 cases). We compared emergency dispatches and their demographic characteristics, especially focusing on suicide attempts, during these 3 years. Results The number of emergency dispatches in 2020 decreased compared with the previous 2 years, while the number and proportion of emergency dispatches related to suicide attempts increased. This increase was more pronounced among women and those aged 25–49 years. Among women aged 25–49 years, there was a cumulative total of 43 suicide attempts in 2018 and 2019 and 73 suicide attempts in 2020. Conclusions The number and proportion of emergency dispatches related to suicide attempts increased in 2020 compared with the previous 2 years, especially among women and those aged 25–49 years. This increase may be partly explained by hardships, such as economic losses or reduced social ties, during the COVID-19 outbreak.
关键词：COVID-19;epidemiology;emergency medical dispatch;suicide