The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Suicide Rate Trends in the Tsunami-Disaster-Affected Area Following the Great East Japan Earthquake

• Published in: Crisis : the journal of crisis intervention and suicide prevention 2023-03, Vol.44 (2), p.93-99
• Main Authors: Orui, Masatsugu, Saeki, Suzuka, Kozakai, Yuki, Harada, Shuichiro, Hayashi, Mizuho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19 - epidemiology; Disasters; Earthquakes; Humans; Japan - epidemiology; Pandemics; Suicide; Tsunamis
• ISSN: 2151-2396
• DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000832

People who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) were expected to have additional levels of psychological burden resulting from the stressful conditions imposed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; consequently, suicide rates may increase. We aimed to carry out continuous monitoring of suicide rates in the affected area following the GEJE under COVID-19 pandemic conditions. This descriptive study monitored the suicide rates of the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture, where disaster-related mental health activities have been continuing following severe damage caused by the tsunami disaster. An exponential smoothing time-series analysis that converted suicide rates into a smooth trend was conducted. Although the suicide rate in the affected area was higher than the national average in February 2020, it showed a declining trend during the COVID-19 pandemic, while showing an increase trend in the national and non-affected areas. Uncertainty about the direct reasons for suicide and the short time-scale observation are the limitations of this study. Although the national suicide rate increased, this was not the case for the affected area. Our findings may provide important lessons for suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic, which needs careful regional monitoring of the state of suicide and of high-risk approaches such as disaster-related mental health activities.