Racial Differences in Statewide Suicide Mortality Trends in Maryland During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Abstract

This cross-sectional study analyzes trends in suicidality by race/ethnicity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Figure.. Interrupted Time Series Analysis of Suicide Mortality During Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

A, Interrupted time series analysis of cumulative difference in suicide mortality rates in 2020 compared with means from 2017 to 2019 using cumulative difference plots. Plotted values indicate difference in cumulative suicide mortality in 2020 compared with historical means from 2017 to 2019 (a value of zero represents no difference; a value of −1 indicates that mean cumulative suicide mortality from 2017 to 2019 exceeded that of 2020 [from January 1, 2020, to July 7, 2020] by 1 decedent; and a value of 1 indicates that cumulative suicide mortality in 2020 [from January 1, 2020, to July 7, 2020] exceeded historical values by 1 decedent). Values were not adjusted for differing population sizes of Black and White residents and therefore the magnitude of differences from historical values may not be compared between these 2 groups. Changes in slope indicate changes in daily rates of suicide mortality between periods of interest, corrected for 2017 to 2019 mean cumulative suicide mortality for corresponding dates. As such, this figure represents progressive divergence from historical cumulative suicide counts with positive slopes indicating increasing cumulative suicide counts compared with historical values and negative slopes indicating decreasing cumulative suicide counts compared with historical values. Shaded areas of fitted lines represent 95% CIs. B, COVID-19 burden in Maryland during periods of interest is presented to provide historical context, illustrating the 7-day average of confirmed new COVID-19 cases per day per 1 000 000 Maryland residents (black) and the 7-day average of COVID-19–related deaths per day per 1 000 000 Maryland residents (blue) as reported by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.