@article{ref1,
title="The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns on self-poisoning and suicide in Sri Lanka: an interrupted time series analysis",
journal="International journal of environmental research and public health",
year="2023",
author="Rajapakse, Thilini and Silva, Tharuka and Hettiarachchi, Nirosha Madhuwanthi and Gunnell, David and Metcalfe, Chris and Spittal, Matthew J. and Knipe, Duleeka",
volume="20",
number="3",
pages="e1833-e1833",
abstract="Evidence from high-income countries suggests that the impact of COVID-19 on suicide and self-harm has been limited, but evidence from low- and middle-income countries is lacking. Using data from a hospital-based self-poisoning register (January 2019-December 2021) and data from national records (2016-2021) of suicide in Sri Lanka, we aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on both self-poisoning and suicide. We examined changes in admissions for self-poisoning and suicide using interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. For the self-poisoning hospital admission ITS models, we defined the lockdown periods as follows: (i) pre-lockdown: 01/01/2019-19/03/2020; (ii) first lockdown: 20/03/2020-27/06/2020; (iii) post-first lockdown: 28/06/2020-11/05/2021; (iv) second lockdown: 12/05/2021-21/06/2021; and (v) post-second lockdown: 22/06/2021-31/12/2021. For suicide, we defined the intervention according to the pandemic period. We found that during lockdown periods, there was a reduction in hospital admissions for self-poisoning, with evidence that admission following self-poisoning remained lower during the pandemic than would be expected based on pre-pandemic trends. In contrast, there was no evidence that the rate of suicide in the pandemic period differed from that which would be expected. As the long-term socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic are realised, it will be important to track rates of self-harm and suicide in LMICs to inform prevention.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1661-7827",
doi="10.3390/ijerph20031833",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031833"
}