Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

July 27, 2020

Google Searches for Suicide and Suicide Risk Factors in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

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  • Halford et al. analyzed Google Trends data (March-April) representing searches in the US for terms related to suicide and known suicide risk factors and found that, while the proportion of suicide-related queries was lower than expected, queries representative of financial difficulty, help-seeking, and general mental health concerns were elevated, suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused an increase in suicide risk factors. 

Halford et al. (July 24, 2020). Google Searches for Suicide and Suicide Risk Factors in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236777