Covid-19 Cause Spike in Elderly Suicides

Increased number of seniors contemplating suicide in fifth wave

Now into its third year, coronavirus pandemic has claimed more victims than just those who are infected with the virus -- elderly people who are have committed suicide or are contemplating it.

On Tuesday researchers at the University of Hong Kong said their suicide warning index recently surged to an unprecedented "crisis level", with elderly people more at risk of taking their own lives during this fifth wave of the pandemic.

The Suicide Early Warning System had a daily estimate of suicides at 1.69 on February 23, and as the number of Covid-19 infections rose to the tens of thousands, the estimate hit 4.05 on March 21. The average figure over the past year was 1.8.

Yip says elderly suicides is at "crisis level"

The March 21 figure is the highest since the warning system was created in 2020, though the daily estimate has since dropped.

Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai from HKU's Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention said social distancing measures have affected people's mental health and elderly people are particularly vulnerable.

He said eight people aged 65 and older committed suicide in the past seven days and it's estimated that 400 seniors will take their lives this year -- double the number last year.

"Social distancing [measures] have introduced not only physical distancing but also emotional disconnectedness. I think it's this emotional disconnectedness that leads to the sense of isolation, a sense of being abandoned by family members or by community. It has an adverse impact on our mental health," he told an online press conference.

"For the elderly people, if they live by themselves, I think the community can proactively engage with them," Yip added.

The group Suicide Prevention Services reported handling 220,000 calls in January and February, an average of nine a day from seniors.

Suicide Prevention Services worries about elderly

It said elderly people are worried about getting infected with Covid-19 and so they are scared of meeting relatives during the pandemic. Their sense of crisis also becomes even more heightened if they or a family member contracted the virus, which could then trigger suicide, the group warned.

There were news reports over a week ago about an elderly couple who killed themselves after finding out they tested positive for Covid-19 and didn't want to be a burden on their family.

Justin Leung, a program manager with the service, added most elderly people are not tech savvy either, making it difficult for them to find out the latest information about the pandemic.

"It's very complicated for the elderly. It's difficult for them to learn in a short period of time," he said. 

Yip called on the government to relax social-distancing measures and reopen leisure facilities as soon as possible to help people improve their mental well-being.

He also said the media should do its part by reporting on more positive stories to help reduce people's anxiety.

Many elderly are terrified to meet relatives

Everyone's anxiety levels have spiked during the pandemic, and even more so during this current fifth wave when the number of cases was over the 50,000 mark.

Thankfully they have dropped in the past week and hopefully in the next few weeks will be below 1,000.

It doesn't help when the government is more focused on fighting the virus than being concerned about its residents' well-being.

Hopefully the authorities will heed this study's warnings. While the 2003 SARS epidemic was relatively short lasting only a few months, it was a terrifying time for Hongkongers. Now 19 years later, people need to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel to hang on and survive, mentally and physically.