Strategic COVID-19 Pandemic Committee

Has the rate of suicides and drug overdoses changed during lockdowns?

COVID-19 Questions & Myths

It is difficult to determine the separate effects of the pandemic, lockdowns, and other public health restrictions on Canadians’ mental health. COVID-19 itself is having a negative impact with many seeing their stress levels double since the onset of the pandemic. People are struggling with fear and uncertainty about their own health and that of their loved ones. They also have concerns about employment and finances as even businesses that remain open are significantly affected by reduced consumer confidence.  Social isolation is worsened by required public health measures such as quarantining and physical distancing.  Unemployment and financial stresses are recognized as contributing stressors in death due to suicide. Deaths classified as suicides have complex and multifactorial reasons behind the suicide and attributing a suicide directly to one or two factors is usually not possible.

Due to data delays, it is not known yet if suicides have increased in 2020 compared with previous years but it has been suggested that suicide rates could significantly increase as a consequence of loss of employment and income due to the pandemic itself, lockdowns, lay-offs and unemployment.

Reference:
i. Projected increases in suicide in Canada as a consequence of COVID-19, Roger S. MacIntyre & Yena Lee, Psychiatry Research