Deaths by suicide did not increase internationally during the first wave of the pandemic Flexible mental health supports, monitoring trends, and countering misinformation are of key importance, Ireland’s first professor of public mental health believes. By Lauren Boland Tuesday 13 Apr 2021, 7:00 PM Tue 7:00 PM 13,049 Views 40 Comments Image: Shutterstock/Prostock-studio Image: Shutterstock/Prostock-studio THE RISK OF death by suicide in wealthy countries did not increase during the first wave of the pandemic, an international study has found. The study of 21 high-income and upper-middle-income countries, published in the Lancet Psychiatry Journal, found no evidence of an increased risk of suicide during spring and early summer last year.