Description
- Abstract:
- In 2020, life expectancy in the United States declined by 1.5 years—likely attributed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19). However, US life expectancy has long lagged other developed countries, largely due to three “deaths of despair”: suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholic liver disease. In coming years, deaths from the COVID-19 infections will likely subside, but the drivers of despair-related mortality have only expanded in intensity and reach during COVID-19. This project sought to understand the psychosocial health impacts of COVID-19 through suicide and opioid overdose 911 calls to Emergency Medical Services in Rhode Island. Using the state’s 911 EMS database and syndromic analysis software, suicide and overdose calls were examined based on patient demographics, timeframe, and severity. Overall, these “calls of despair” declined from the pre-COVID period of March 2019-February 2020 to the COVID period of March 2020-February 2021, with overdose calls decreasing to a greater extent than suicide calls. Suicide and overdose calls declined to a greater extent in younger ages. Suicide calls increased in ages over 50. Total calls to suicide attempts and lethal overdoses increased in men but respectively decreased and remained the same in women. While further confirmation is needed, these results could inform potential efforts to mitigate the long-term effects of COVID-19 on wellbeing in Rhode Island and beyond.
- Notes:
- Scholarly concentration: Non-Scholarly Concentrator
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Citation
Thorndike, James, Rhodes, Jason, Roberts-Santana, Carolina, et al.,
"Calls of Despair: An EMS perspective on suicide and overdose in RI during COVID-19"
(2021).
Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:zpdt4t7m/
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Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium
The Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium is an annual event at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University that provides Year II medical students a venue to present their summer research in a poster format. Participation in the Symposium …...