Leo Sher, M.D.

A research article, “Changes in suicide mortality of Hungary during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic” has been published in Orvosi Hetilap, a Hungarian medical journal (1).

The authors compared the observed number of suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic in March–December 2020 with the expected numbers which were calculated based on monthly data on suicides between 2010 and 2020. The number of suicides among men increased significantly, by 18% compared to the hypothetical trend that would have occurred in the absence of the COVID-19 crisis. The number of suicides among women did not differ significantly from the number expected based on the pre-COVID-19 trend. The authors state that they plan to provide more detailed data in the near future.

Reference

1. Osváth P, Bálint L, Németh A, Kapitány B, Rihmer Z, Döme P. [Changes in suicide mortality of Hungary during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic]. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(41): 1631–1636.