The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted concerns about an increased risk for psychological distress, broadly and suicide mortality, specifically; it is, as yet, unclear if these concerns will be realized, but they are plausible.
The authors demonstrate why researchers, clinicians, policymakers and other public health stakeholders should be vigilant to the potential increases in murder-suicide in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been reports of increased gun sales, alcohol sales, intimate partner violence and child neglect/abuse. These factors give one serious pause regarding the potential for murder-suicide, especially in the context of other pandemic-related stressors (e.g. loneliness, economic stress, health anxiety).
This paper highlights pandemic-related factors that might spur increased murder-suicide and encourages murder-suicide prevention efforts to take place alongside other pandemic-related public health interventions.
