The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide and alcohol mortality in Sweden

Abstract

Abstract Several of the interventions implemented by authorities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 entailed potential risks for social isolation and loneliness which are risk factors for alcohol and mental health problems. Experiences from previous health shocks suggest that lower socioeconomic groups are more vulnerable. The main aim of this paper is to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide and alcohol mortality in Sweden and to assess possible difference across socio-economic groups. In addition, we provide a brief description of SES-differences in COVID-19 mortality. The following causes of deaths were included in the analysis: COVID-19, all-cause mortality excluding COVID-19, suicide and a composite index of alcohol-specific deaths. SARIMA-modelling was used to assess the impact of the pandemic on suicide and alcohol-specific mortality. Two alternative measures of the pandemic were used: (1) a dummy that was coded 1 during the pandemic (March 2020 and onwards), and 0 otherwise, and (2) the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker’s Stringency Index. We used monthly data spanning the period January 2016–December 2021. There was a marked SES-gradient in COVID-19 mortality in the working-age population (25-64) which was larger than for other causes of death. A SES-gradient was also found in the old-age population, but this gradient did not differ from the gradient for other causes of death. The outcome from the SARIMA time-series analyses suggested that the pandemic did not have any impact on suicide or alcohol-specific mortality in any of the gender and educational groups.