Warning Covid-19 could lead to spike in suicide rates

A global panel said the mental health effects of the pandemic will be "profound" and that mental health supports are needed in tandem with efforts to fight the spread of Covid-19. File picture.

Irish experts are among a global panel warning the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a spike in suicide rates and that mental health supports are needed in tandem with efforts to fight the spread of Covid-19.

In an international consensus statement on suicide risk and prevention during Covid-19, published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal, the group said: "Suicide is likely to become a more pressing concern as the pandemic spreads and has longer-term effects on the general population, the economy, and vulnerable groups."