Citation

Campos RC, Holden RR, Medinapereira A. Minerva Psychiatry 2021; 62(2): 74-78.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021)

DOI

10.23736/S2724-6612.21.02147-6

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency in Portugal and the contribution of several socio-demographic and clinical variables, including having had a psychiatric diagnosis, on suicide ideation. Further, we tested whether the perceived impact of the pandemic mediated the association between having had a psychiatric diagnosis and suicide ideation.

METHODS: Asample of 227 Portuguese community adults (183 women, 44 men) participated online.

RESULTS: Low education, having had a psychiatric diagnosis, and the perceived psychological impact of the pandemic each related to the presence of suicide ideation. Perceived psychological impact partially mediated the association between having had a psychiatric diagnosis and suicide ideation, as indexed by the total score on the Suicide Ideation Scale.

CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis, with a lower education level, and with a perceived psychological impact of the pandemic are at greater risk for experiencing suicide ideation, and psychological impact appears to be stronger for persons with a psychiatric diagnosis and, thus, resulting in more suicide ideation. Apotential limitation was the use of only three items for assessing the impact of the pandemic. © 2021 Edizioni Minerva Medica. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; COVID-19; Suicide; female; male; Mental disorders; suicidal ideation; depression; pandemic; psychology; Portugal; risk factor; major clinical study; questionnaire; anxiety disorder; chronic disease; psychiatric diagnosis; cross-sectional study; psychological rating scale; Article; Suicide Ideation Scale; coronavirus disease 2019; Pandemics