Suicidal thoughts and self-harm behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom : a repeated cross‐sectional population‐based survey study

Abstract

Background and Aims: There are concerns that COVID-19 and associated restrictive measures may have contributed to increased suicidal thoughts and self-harm, despite contrasting scientific evidence. The objective of this study is to investigate how COVID-19-related restrictions affected suicidal thoughts and self-harm in UK adults throughout the pandemic, to clarify the above issue and aid the design of targeted public mental health measures. Methods: Data from a representative, repeated cross-sectional surveys with UK adults were evaluated between March 2020 and November 2021 (n = 48,996). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to quantify the association of lockdown periods with suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and sociodemographic variables. Results: COVID-19 and associated restrictive measures were associated with significantly increased prevalence and likelihood of reporting suicidal thoughts and self-harm in young adults, people reporting a pre-existing mental health condition, and people with disabilities. A general upward trajectory emerged over time in connection to suicidal thoughts and reporting self-harm amongst specific groups, even during lockdowns lifting. Conclusion: Evidence from the study should guide a holistic public health response to future pandemics. Even when not linked to an increase in suicides, protecting the well-being of people living in suicidal distress through programs that promote kindness, hope, and human dignity should be critical. Such actions can be taken in ways that do not compete with measures that prevent pandemics from spreading.

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This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2026 The Author(s). Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.72045