Short- and long-term effect of COVID-19 pandemic on rates of suicide attempts treated in Illinois hospitals

Previous studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide trends have yielded inconsistent findings, with inadequate differentiation of short- and long-term effects. Addressing this gap, our study evaluates the pandemic's short- and long-term trends in suicide attempts across various demographics. Illinois statewide hospital data covering January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2022, were analyzed. Compared to the prepandemic baseline period, changes in daily rates of suicide attempts treated across 4 periods of state executive orders limiting public gatherings were evaluated. Segmented time-series analysis was developed to evaluate specific temporal patterns across 4 pandemic periods. A total of 153 476 suicide attempts were registered, with 38.6% of cases occurring after March 16, 2020. A significant increase of 0.8353 attempts per day per 1 million (P < .0001) was found after the second "stay-at-home orders" period. A significant increase in suicide attempts was observed in females 11 to 16 years old, starting from the second "stay-at-home order" through the end of 2022, and in females 19 to 24 years old after the end of the second "stay-at-home order." The rise in suicide attempts among young females during the pandemic's later stages is alarming. Further investigation into specific risk factors is needed. This article is part of a Special Collection on Methods in Social Epidemiology.