Changes in the proportion of suicides attributed to work-related problems before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

OBJECTIVES

To examine changes in suicides attributed to work-related problems in Japan before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with attention to sex differences.

METHODS

Monthly suicide data from January 2017 to February 2026 were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. The study period was divided into four phases: pre-emergency period (January 2017-March 2020), COVID-19 period (April 2020-December 2021), COVID-19 period after classification change (January 2022-May 2023), and post-COVID-19 period (June 2023-February 2026). Negative binomial regression models including the logarithm of monthly total suicides as an offset were used to examine the proportion of suicides attributed to work-related problems among all suicides according to period and sex. Supplementary analyses examined within-period temporal trends.

RESULTS

During the study period, 188,178 suicides were recorded, including 20,822 recorded as involving work-related problems. In the offset model, among men, the proportion of suicides attributed to work-related problems was lower during the COVID-19 period than during the pre-emergency period (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.920; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.859-0.986), but higher during the COVID-19 period after classification change (IRR, 1.389; 95% CI, 1.297-1.486) and the post-COVID-19 period (IRR, 1.261; 95% CI, 1.184-1.342). The relative change was more positive among women during the COVID-19 period and the post-COVID-19 period.

CONCLUSIONS

Work-related problems were more frequently represented in suicide statistics after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, although part of the increase after 2022 may reflect the revision of official classification.