Suicidal behavior in the Trans-Baikal region: epidemiological characteristics, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the WHO tool for improvement of monitoring systems

The article provides an analysis of the current epidemiological characteristics of suicidal behavior in the Trans-Baikal Region, an assessment of the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on the indicators of suicidal activity of the population, and also presents the first results of self-harm monitoring implemented in the subject based on the WHO tool. It has been established that in Transbaikalia a positive trend continues in a significant decrease in the number of suicides, although the rate of completed suicides in the Territory is 2.5 times higher than the national average and 1.5 times higher than in the Far Eastern Federal District. The spread of a new coronavirus infection COVID -19 and its associated adverse socioeconomic impacts have resulted in a slowdown in the decline in suicide rates and a 1.5-fold increase in the number of suicide attempts among the population of the region in 2020. The monitoring of self-injurious behavior standardized by WHO has allowed a more detailed analysis of the epidemiological features of suicide attempts in the region.