Psychiatrists warned that due to the restrictions in the time of the coronavirus pandemic and the reduction of interpersonal contacts, there could be a wave of suicides. Statistics show that this did not happen.
In April, there were individual reports of suicides that were believed to be a consequence of restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. In an article in “Business Insider”, Berlin firefighters talked about farewell letters found in suicide homes. They wrote in them about the overwhelming fear of coronavirus infection.
The German Society of Psychiatry warned of a possible increase in the tide of suicides. The reason was to be forced isolation, coupled with financial difficulties and limited access to therapy – an unbearable mix for people with mental health problems.
Depression makes it difficult to seek help
However, the statistics did not confirm the fears. At the beginning of May, the daily Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung asked authorities in seven federal states of Germany for the current figures. It found that the suicide rate had not increased, and North Rhine-Westphalia saw as much as a 20 percent decline.
– We noticed that during the coronavirus crisis, the number of requests for help and advice decreased, which is actually a paradox – says in an interview with DW Thomas Voigt, deputy head of the German patient self-help organization Deutsche Depressionsliga. However, she emphasizes that the fact that people are not seeking help is not yet a sign of their well-being. – The explanation may be that seeking help forces you to be active. And this can be so aggravating that it is impossible for some to do, she emphasizes. Remote therapy is not necessarily a good solution, because “depressed people want direct contact with another human being, not talking to a machine,” Voigt believes.
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Ulrich Hegerl, head of the Deutsche Depressionshilfe foundation, emphasizes that 90 percent of suicides are related to a distorted picture of reality caused by depression or other mental illnesses. Depression is an illness, not just a reaction to the difficulties of life. Hegerl warned early in the crisis that due to limited contacts, friends and relatives of a depressed person would have a harder time detecting a problem and calling for help.
– The living situation has deteriorated. There are fewer patients in doctors’ offices – also because they think doctors don’t need them because they are busy with coronavirus patients. And people with depression feel guilty easily, says Hegerl.
Worse mental state
Although the number of suicides did not increase, research shows that many people experienced a general deterioration in mental well-being. In the USA, the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a survey of 1226 adults at the end of March. 45 percent of those questioned said the pandemic had affected their mental state. In February and March, the number of people seeking support from psychologists and psychiatrists increased by 300 percent compared to the same period last year.
In Germany, in mid-April, when the restrictions were the most severe, the University of Medical Sciences in Hanover conducted a study in a group of 3545 people. 29 percent of them reported increased feelings of aggression and irritation. The University of Krems on the Danube in Austria surveyed 1009 people, among which the number of those suffering from “depressive moods” rose from 4 to 20 percent. One of the authors of the study, Christoph Pieh, is still concerned about the wave of suicides. – There has definitely been an increase in depressive diseases – he says in an interview with DW.
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The effects of crises
Hauke Wiegand, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist at the University Clinic in Mainz, has seen a decline in the number of patients visiting his clinic: far fewer depressed and anxious people come, while the number of patients with schizophrenia remains at the same level.
Looking back, Wiegand points out that every economic crisis has led to an increase in the number of suicides. For example, after the 2008 crisis, every percent increase in unemployment resulted in a one percent increase in the number of suicides.
However, Wiegand also talks about positive trends. The first results of a study by the Mainz Institute for Immunity Research show that many people experience less stress. – They have reduced working hours, may have to commute less, and spend more time with their families – all of this means less stress for most people. However, this only applies to those who are provided with a job – adds the psychiatrist.
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