Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry (Oct 2024)

Social support and suicidality during the COVID-2019 pandemic among Brazilian health care workers: longitudinal assessment of a repeated cross-sectional online survey

  • Alexandre Paim Diaz,
  • Andre Braule Pinto,
  • Maria Isabel Chaves Araújo,
  • Rui Mateus Joaquim,
  • Danielle de Souza Costa,
  • Alexandre Luiz de Oliveira Serpa,
  • Anthony R. Pisani,
  • Yeates Conwell,
  • Debora M. Miranda,
  • Leandro F. Malloy-Diniz,
  • Antonio G. da Silva

DOI
https://doi.org/10.47626/1516-4446-2023-3466
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 46

Abstract

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Objective: The risk of suicide is higher among health care workers than other workers. This study investigated the association between social support and suicidal ideation and behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic among Brazilian health care workers. Methods: This study used data from 10,885 respondents to the first (time point 1 – between May and June of 2020) and second (time point 2 – between December 2020 and February 2021) cross-sectional online surveys about mental health and quality of life among Brazilian health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationship between social support as the independent variable (time point 1) and suicidal ideation and behavior as the outcomes (time point 2) was investigated through logistic regression analysis. Results: Greater social support was associated with a significantly lower risk of reporting suicidal ideation and behavior in the month prior to follow-up assessment (adjusted OR: 0.71, 95%CI 0.66-0.76 and adjusted OR 0.61, 95%CI 0.54-0.68, respectively). These associations were independent of sex, age, feelings of loneliness, and self-reported psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: Social support is associated with a lower risk of suicidality among health care workers, and its protective role appears more closely related to suicidal behavior.

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