The Covid-19 Pandemic and Recent Geographies of Suicide in Argentina

Datos Bibliográficos

ID19272340
AutoresCarlos Marcelo Leveau (0000-0001-6240-9811, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Páginas207640261449687-207640261449687
Fecha de publicación2026-05-20
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Social Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0020-7640 • E-ISSN: 1741-2854
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00207640261449687
PMID42159284
OpenAlexW7161840786
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas41

BACKGROUND: There is a knowledge gap regarding the geographic distribution of suicide risk and its associated socio-demographic factors in the years following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to describe the spatial patterns of suicide risk in Argentina from 2015 to 2022 and identify contributing factors. METHODS: Suicide mortality data were obtained from the Ministry of Health of the Nation. Multivariate Bayesian hierarchical regression models were employed to assess associations between suicide risk and three key variables: population density, socioeconomic status, and an index of social fragmentation. RESULTS: In 2020, high-risk suicide areas in the center-east of the country, which had persisted in previous years, were no longer observed. However, these high-risk areas re-emerged during 2021 to 2022. Except for 2017 and 2019, suicide risk was consistently higher in rural areas. Elevated values of the social fragmentation index were associated with increased suicide risk during 2021 to 2022. CONCLUSIONS: The post-2020 period reflects a return to the pre-pandemic geographic pattern of suicide in Argentina, with rural areas remaining persistent high-risk zones. However, in the post-pandemic era, suicide appears to disproportionately affect areas with weaker social ties

Injury prevention · Occupational safety and health · Pandemic · Poison control · Population · Rural area · Socioeconomic status · Suicide prevention · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies