Older People at Risk of Suicide: A Local Study During the COVID-19 Confinement Period.

ingentiumby ingentium

In Discovery Literature.

Publication date: Jul 18, 2025

Suicide in older adults represents an insufficiently addressed public health problem, despite the aging population and the increase in mental disorders in this group. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures, such as lockdown, could have exacerbated this phenomenon. This study aimed to analyze the impact of the confinement decreed during the state of alarm in Spain on the incidence of deaths by suicide in people over 70 years of age in Extremadura. An observational and retrospective study was carried out, using data from the Institutes of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, comparing the figures for 2020 with the years 2019, 2021, along with the average for the period 2015-2019. Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests and calculation of Relative Risk with 95% CI. The results revealed a significant increase in deaths by suicide in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the periods compared, especially among men. It is concluded that confinement may have negatively influenced the mental health of older adults, which underscores the need for specific interventions and attention to regional contextual factors.

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Concepts Keywords
Adults COVID-19
Basel elderly people
Healthcare mental health
Suicide suicide

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH Suicide
disease MESH COVID-19
disease MESH mental disorders
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease MESH death
disease MESH depression
disease MESH morbidity
disease MESH lifestyle
disease MESH emotional distress
disease MESH anxiety
disease IDO history
disease MESH suicide attempt
disease MESH suicidal ideation
drug DRUGBANK Trestolone
disease MESH infection
disease MESH loneliness
disease MESH bewilderment
disease MESH cognitive impairment
disease IDO country
disease IDO quality
disease MESH completed suicides
disease MESH chronic illnesses
disease IDO susceptibility
disease MESH complications
disease MESH coronavirus infections
drug DRUGBANK Troleandomycin
disease MESH major depressive disorder
disease MESH Sleep Quality
disease MESH Insomnia
drug DRUGBANK D-Alanine
disease MESH Emergency
disease MESH impulsivity
drug DRUGBANK Guanosine
drug DRUGBANK (S)-Des-Me-Ampa
disease MESH uncertainty
disease IDO process
drug DRUGBANK Coal tar
drug DRUGBANK Aminosalicylic Acid
drug DRUGBANK Silver
disease MESH affective disorder
disease MESH marital status

Original Article

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