Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Oct;51(5):833-835.
doi: 10.1111/sltb.12729. Epub 2021 Feb 9.

Social distancing predicts suicide rates: Analysis of the 1918 flu pandemic in 43 large cities, research note

Steven Stack  1   2 , Ian R H Rockett  3
Affiliations

Social distancing predicts suicide rates: Analysis of the 1918 flu pandemic in 43 large cities, research note

Steven Stack et al. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

Social distancing (e.g., school and business closings) has been emphasized in current sociopolitical efforts in controlling COVID-19. Such policies are assumed to increase suicide risk through lowering social integration. While two studies have linked the presence of a pandemic to suicide rates, no study has assessed the degree of social distancing on suicide rates during a pandemic. The present study fills this gap with data on the extent of social distancing during the Spanish flu epidemic in 43 large cities. The results find that increasing social distancing increases suicide rates independent of the influenza mortality rate.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Anglemyer, A. , Horvath, T. , & Rutherford, G. (2014). The accessibility of irearms and risk for suicide and homicide victimization among household members: A systematic review and Meta‐Analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 160, 101‐110. - PubMed
    1. Barro, R. J. , Ursua, J. F. , & Weng, J. (2020, March). The coronavirus and the great influenza pandemic. Lessons from the “Spanish flu” for the coronavirus’s potential effects on mortality and economic activity. Working paper 26866, National Bureau of Economic Research.
    1. Barry, J. M. (2018). The Great Influenza: The story of the deadliest pandemic in history. Penguin Books.
    1. Bureau of the Census . (1923). Mortality Rates, 1910–1920. US Government Printing Office.
    1. Cheung, Y. T. , Chan, P. H. , & Yip, S. F. (2008). A revisit on older adults’ suicides and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in Hong Kong. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 1131–1238. - PubMed

Publication types