Suicide in England since the COVID-19 pandemic

NCISH analysed suicide data from “real-time surveillance” (RTS) systems across several regions in England, covering a population of 9 million. The study compared monthly suicide figures from the pre-lockdown period (January–March 2020) with post-lockdown (April–August 2020).

While the average number of suicides varied, there was no evidence of an increase post-lockdown. Although post-lockdown figures were higher than the same period in 2019, this aligns with rising suicide rates and improvements in RTS systems. Important caveats apply, and these findings do not rule out increases in specific areas or potential impacts from future economic downturns.