Citation

Hwang IT, Fu-Tsung Shaw F, Hsu WY, Liu GY, Kuan CI, Gunnell D, Chang SS. Crisis 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000877

PMID

35983713

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences may affect population mental health and suicide risk. Aims: To explore the experiences among suicidal individuals who made calls to a suicide prevention hotline and to identify factors and psychological responses that may influence suicide risk.

METHOD: We identified 60 eligible recorded calls to Taiwan's suicide prevention hotline (January 23, 2020-May 31, 2020) and analyzed the transcripts using a framework analysis.

RESULTS: We identified three themes: (a) effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on society (impacts on local economies, the fear of contagion, and disruptions caused by outbreak control measures); (b) stress experienced by callers, including increased challenges (financial burden, restricted freedom of movement, interpersonal conflicts, feelings of uncertainty, and education/career interruption) and reduced support (reduced access to health services and social support); and (c) the callers' psychological responses to stress, including anxiety, sleep disturbance, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, and entrapment, which may increase suicide risk. Limitations: Only the experiences among those who sought help by calling the hotline during the early months of the pandemic in 2020 were explored.

CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed the potential process underlying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide risk and have implications for prevention and intervention strategies.

Language: en

Keywords

mental health; suicide; COVID-19; helpline; psychological responses