West of Ireland study finds no rise in suicide rates due to covid pandemic

The study identified 85 cases of individuals who died by probable suicide in two periods covering March 2018 to February 2022. File photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA

A new study has found no evidence of any changes in adult suicide rates in the west of Ireland as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, despite some reports of increased rates of self-harm and mental distress during various lockdowns.

Research carried by staff at University Hospital Galway compared suicide rates and methods of probable suicide in the west of Ireland over a 24-month period, before and after the onset of covid-19 at the end of February 2020.