• Jianyu Que, Kai Yuan, Yimiao Gong, Shiqiu Meng, Yanping Bao, and Lin Lu.
• Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China.
• Neuropsychopharmacol Rep. 2020 Dec 1; 40 (4): 392-395.

AbstractSuicide is one of the top 20 leading causes of death worldwide. With the rapid spreading of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis around the world, suicide cases induced by the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported in many countries. Individuals with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 infection, frontline healthcare workers, bereaved families, elders, children, and adolescents are vulnerable populations who might be at elevated suicide risk. In this micro-review, a systematic search through PubMed was performed for a comprehensive investigation of suicide risk factors during the pandemic. On this basis, we put forward considerations and advice for preventing pandemic related suicide, including staying socially connected through online platform or apps during period of quarantine, reducing unemployment, dispelling rumors and misinformation in time, and maintaining evidenced-based management of psychiatric symptoms. More importantly, early detection and timely intervention of individuals with psychiatric disorders and suicide behaviors will be effective to reduce the number of suicides, with specific measurements of using validated scales to perform regular suicide risk screening, improving the availability of mental health services, and providing appropriate and evidence-based interventions for individuals in demand. Policy makers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals need to collaborate to control the possible suicide events during the COVID-19 pandemic and future possible crisis.© 2020 The Authors. Neuropsychopharmacology Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of the Japanese Society of NeuropsychoPharmacology.

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