"I Can't See an End in Sight." How the COVID-19 Pandemic May Influence Suicide Risk

The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences may affect population mental health and suicide risk. To explore the experiences among suicidal individuals who made calls to a suicide prevention hotline and to identify factors and psychological responses that may influence suicide risk. We identified 60 eligible recorded calls to Taiwan's suicide prevention hotline (January 23, 2020-May 31, 2020) and analyzed the transcripts using a framework analysis. We identified three themes: (a) effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on society (impacts on local economies, the fear of contagion, and disruptions caused by outbreak control measures); (b) stress experienced by callers, including increased challenges (financial burden, restricted freedom of movement, interpersonal conflicts, feelings of uncertainty, and education/career interruption) and reduced support (reduced access to health services and social support); and (c) the callers' psychological responses to stress, including anxiety, sleep disturbance, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, and entrapment, which may increase suicide risk. Only the experiences among those who sought help by calling the hotline during the early months of the pandemic in 2020 were explored. Our findings revealed the potential process underlying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide risk and have implications for prevention and intervention strategies.