Suicide risk among individuals diagnosed with cancer during versus before the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide population-based study.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess suicide risk among individuals diagnosed with cancer shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to those diagnosed earlier. Data were obtained from the National Cancer Registry in Japan, which included 4 711 540 individuals diagnosed between January 2016 and June 2020. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) for suicide within 6 months of diagnosis were quantified using the general population as a reference. Those diagnosed between April and June 2020 had an SMR of 3.93 (95% confidence interval: 3.10-4.91), higher than those diagnosed in earlier periods. Additionally, multivariate Poisson regression showed an adjusted relative risk of 1.30 (95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.63) for individuals diagnosed during the pandemic compared to earlier periods. These findings suggest that individuals diagnosed with cancer shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had a higher suicide risk than those diagnosed earlier.