Context: this is "surprising" (edit: mods changed title from "Surprisingly, suicide has become rarer during the pandemic") because suicidal ideation (and by some reports, attempts) were dramatically increased during our response to the pandemic. Deaths from alcohol and drug abuse are also up:
On a more anecdotal note, I'm personally close to a therapist, and they're busier with SI patients than ever. They're also overwhelmed with demand, in general, having seen a significant increase in both patients and patients with SI over the course of 2020.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle...
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/147/3/e202002...
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm
https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4095
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33533876/
https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-imp...
On a more anecdotal note, I'm personally close to a therapist, and they're busier with SI patients than ever. They're also overwhelmed with demand, in general, having seen a significant increase in both patients and patients with SI over the course of 2020.