Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Suicidal Behaviour in Copenhagen

Introduction

During the Covid-19 pandemic, multiple concerns were expressed about the inadequacy and unavailability of mental health services. This study aims to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the prevalence of suicidal behaviour in Copenhagen.

Methods

This exploratory retrospective quantitative study was conducted based on annual register-based electronic health records of the Emergency Medical Services Copenhagen from 2015 to 2021. It focused on calls related to suicidal behaviour entering the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre 112 and the medical helpline 1813. The calls were identified based on the search of the Danish and English words for suicide in the medical records. The primary outcome focused on the number of suicidal calls registered in the EMS records prior to the Covid-19 outbreak as compared to numbers during the pandemic.

Results

The study analysed 8026 recorded suicide-related calls from March 2015 to December 2021. The number of suicidal behaviours increased by 9%. During the Covid-19 years, there was a decrease of 11% in suicidal behaviour. This pattern could be observed in all age groups. However, suicidal behaviour increased by 4% from 104 (2019) to 119 and 118 (2020 and 2021, respectively) among adolescents aged 11–18 years. The prevalence of suicidal behaviour was constantly higher among females compared to males.

Conclusion

While suicidal behaviour increased, the Covid-19 pandemic has been linked to a decline in suicidal behaviour. Adolescents and females seem to be more prone to suicidal behaviour during times of crisis compared to other age groups and males.