[The Number of Deliberate Self-Poisoning Suicide Attempts in the First Year of the Covid-19 Epidemic in Budapest and Pest County].

Abstract

Introduction: In contrast to most other countries, in Hungary, suicide rates increased significantly in the first year (March to December 2020) of the COVID-19 epidemic. Worldwide, the burden of emergency health care tended to decrease in the first period of the pandemic. The main goal of the present research was to assess how the number of suicidal deliberate self-poisoning has changed in the first two years of the pandemic compared to the trend of the previous years (before March 2020) in the capital of Hungary, Budapest, and in Pest County (population approx. 3 million).

Methods: In our retrospective cross-sectional study, we analyzed the results of emergency psychiatric evaluations of patients admitted to the Péterfy Hospital Emergency Department and Clinical Toxicology due to self-intoxication. From the data stored in the hospital's electronic health care system, we recorded two variables: suicidal self-poisoning, that is, suicide attempt, and the gender of the patient. Interrupted time series analysis was used, which relied on negative binomial regression estimates. In addition, the leveling in the trends was examined by changepoint detection.

Results: In males, suicide attempts decreased by 16.6% compared to the pre-pandemic period (p<0.001). A similar and significant decrease was observed in females and the overall population. The trend change took place in August 2020 for women and the total population, and in October for men.

Conclusions: It is suggested that people who have undergone a non-violent drug self-poisoning suicide attempt are less likely to call for help, such as an ambulance. Alternatively, fewer had attempted suicide because they did not want to be hospitalized. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the change in the examined trend (August and October) coincides with the beginning of the second wave of the epidemic in Hungary.