Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor?
IntroductionSelf-immolation is an uncommon way of attempting and committing a suicide, with a fatality rate of 80%. The risk factors in self-immolation victims vary depending on demographic characteristics, socio-economic and cultural factors as well as religious beliefs. Whether the COVID-19 pandem...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1234584/full |
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| author | Jelena V. Jeremic Jelena V. Jeremic Jovan M. Mihaljevic Ivan L. J. Radosavljevic Milana M. Jurisic Branko J. Suđecki Milan T. Stojicic Milan T. Stojicic Milan D. Jovanović Milan D. Jovanović Zorana Pavlovic Zorana Pavlovic Kristina G. Radenovic Nikola V. Milic Vedrana Pavlovic Natasa M. Milic Marko S. Jovic Marko S. Jovic |
| author_facet | Jelena V. Jeremic Jelena V. Jeremic Jovan M. Mihaljevic Ivan L. J. Radosavljevic Milana M. Jurisic Branko J. Suđecki Milan T. Stojicic Milan T. Stojicic Milan D. Jovanović Milan D. Jovanović Zorana Pavlovic Zorana Pavlovic Kristina G. Radenovic Nikola V. Milic Vedrana Pavlovic Natasa M. Milic Marko S. Jovic Marko S. Jovic |
| author_sort | Jelena V. Jeremic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionSelf-immolation is an uncommon way of attempting and committing a suicide, with a fatality rate of 80%. The risk factors in self-immolation victims vary depending on demographic characteristics, socio-economic and cultural factors as well as religious beliefs. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic was a potentially important stressor for self-immolation is still unknown, with insufficient studies examining this issue. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the trend of self-immolation in a 13-year timeline, and the potential association of COVID-19 pandemic with the increase in the incidence and severity of self-immolation injuries in Serbia in 2021.Materials and methodsThe study included hospitalized patients due to intentional burns caused by self-immolation in the period from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2021. Joinpoint regression analysis was used for the analysis of continuous linear trends of self-immolation cases with change points.ResultsWhile a rising trend was observed in the 2008–2013 time segment, followed by a decline in the upcoming 2013–2016 time segment, a significant increase reached its maximum during COVID-19 pandemic (2021), with annual percent change of 37.1% (p = 0.001). A significant increase in the median number of cases per year was observed during 2021 compared to the previous periods (7.5 vs. 2). Frequency of patients with a psychiatric diagnosis vs. those without a psychiatric diagnosis was significantly higher during than before the COVID-19 period (66.7 vs. 36.1%, p = 0.046).ConclusionIn our study, a significant increase in the frequency of suicide attempts by self-immolation during COVID-19 pandemic was noticed. There was also an increased frequency of pre-existing psychiatric illness among patients during the pandemic period. With limited high-quality data available, the study adds to a rising body of evidence for assessment of outcomes of the pandemic on mental health and recognition of stressors for self-immolation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:20:31Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:20:31Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-069db7bda52e48179fa17f8cf5485bdd2024-02-21T05:52:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-02-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.12345841234584Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor?Jelena V. Jeremic0Jelena V. Jeremic1Jovan M. Mihaljevic2Ivan L. J. Radosavljevic3Milana M. Jurisic4Branko J. Suđecki5Milan T. Stojicic6Milan T. Stojicic7Milan D. Jovanović8Milan D. Jovanović9Zorana Pavlovic10Zorana Pavlovic11Kristina G. Radenovic12Nikola V. Milic13Vedrana Pavlovic14Natasa M. Milic15Marko S. Jovic16Marko S. Jovic17Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaDepartment of Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaClinic for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, SerbiaIntroductionSelf-immolation is an uncommon way of attempting and committing a suicide, with a fatality rate of 80%. The risk factors in self-immolation victims vary depending on demographic characteristics, socio-economic and cultural factors as well as religious beliefs. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic was a potentially important stressor for self-immolation is still unknown, with insufficient studies examining this issue. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the trend of self-immolation in a 13-year timeline, and the potential association of COVID-19 pandemic with the increase in the incidence and severity of self-immolation injuries in Serbia in 2021.Materials and methodsThe study included hospitalized patients due to intentional burns caused by self-immolation in the period from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2021. Joinpoint regression analysis was used for the analysis of continuous linear trends of self-immolation cases with change points.ResultsWhile a rising trend was observed in the 2008–2013 time segment, followed by a decline in the upcoming 2013–2016 time segment, a significant increase reached its maximum during COVID-19 pandemic (2021), with annual percent change of 37.1% (p = 0.001). A significant increase in the median number of cases per year was observed during 2021 compared to the previous periods (7.5 vs. 2). Frequency of patients with a psychiatric diagnosis vs. those without a psychiatric diagnosis was significantly higher during than before the COVID-19 period (66.7 vs. 36.1%, p = 0.046).ConclusionIn our study, a significant increase in the frequency of suicide attempts by self-immolation during COVID-19 pandemic was noticed. There was also an increased frequency of pre-existing psychiatric illness among patients during the pandemic period. With limited high-quality data available, the study adds to a rising body of evidence for assessment of outcomes of the pandemic on mental health and recognition of stressors for self-immolation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1234584/fullself-immolationburnsmental healthsuicideCOVID-19joinpoint regression |
| spellingShingle | Jelena V. Jeremic Jelena V. Jeremic Jovan M. Mihaljevic Ivan L. J. Radosavljevic Milana M. Jurisic Branko J. Suđecki Milan T. Stojicic Milan T. Stojicic Milan D. Jovanović Milan D. Jovanović Zorana Pavlovic Zorana Pavlovic Kristina G. Radenovic Nikola V. Milic Vedrana Pavlovic Natasa M. Milic Marko S. Jovic Marko S. Jovic Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor? Frontiers in Public Health self-immolation burns mental health suicide COVID-19 joinpoint regression |
| title | Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor? |
| title_full | Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor? |
| title_fullStr | Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor? |
| title_short | Trend of suicide by self-immolation in a 13-year timeline: was the COVID-19 pandemic a potentially important stressor? |
| title_sort | trend of suicide by self immolation in a 13 year timeline was the covid 19 pandemic a potentially important stressor |
| topic | self-immolation burns mental health suicide COVID-19 joinpoint regression |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1234584/full |
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