Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide mortality in Brazil: an interrupted time series analysis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted global mental health, affecting mortality from suicide. This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on suicide mortality in Brazil from 2000 to 2022. METHODS: Study of temporal events with data of events by suicide of the Mortality Information System (MIS). Mortality were calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. Differences before and during the pandemic were evaluated with the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and Prais-Winsten regression. Interrupted Temporal Series (ITS) analysis was performed. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2022, there were 243,143 cases of suicide in Brazil. During the pandemic, the median monthly mortality increased from 0.4 to 0.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, with a trend of an increase of 0.78% per month. LIMITATIONS: Because it is an ecological study, it is not possible to have individual conclusions. Secondary data and population estimates may be inaccurate. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased suicide mortality in Brazil, highlighting the need for more effective mental health policies.
Authors: Matheus Santos Melo, Thiago Alves Martins, Rivadávio Fernandes Batista de Amorim, Tainá Raiol, Caíque Jordan Nunes Ribeiro, Allan Dantas dos Santos
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4409414954