Welcome to the EPA 2022 Interactive Programme 

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Despite being preventable, approximately 800,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide. Evidence suggests that suicide rates decrease during crises, but once the immediate threat passes, suicide rates are expected to increase. The COVID-19 pandemic likely affects risk and protective factors for suicide. Studies show mixed results regarding whether suicide behaviours have increased among adults during the pandemic. The results are however different for young people. An increase in suicidal behaviours has been identified in some countries among young people after lockdown period and when returning to schools. Data also suggests that there may have been a rise in deaths by suicide among those younger than 18 years in China, and during the first phase of lockdown in the United Kingdom. Studies have found significant decreases in hospital admissions for suicidal behaviours and visits to emergency departments both for adults and adolescents. Suicide can be prevented if evidence-based methods that exist are implemented in a systematic way. Wasserman, D., Iosue, M., Wuestefeld, A., & Carli, V. (2020). Adaptation of evidence-based suicide prevention strategies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. World psychiatry: official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 19(3), 294–306.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restriction measures have a great impact on patterns of substance use throughout the general population. Interestingly, in contrast to initial expectations on an overall negative impact, data of large surveys show a differentiated picture of impact. A recent systematic review (Roberts et al., 221) showed mixed tendencies towards increased alcohol consumption, contrasting with a clear trend towards the use of other psychoactive (illicit drugs and prescription drugs) substances. patterns of use before COVID-19 (e.g. habit of drinking at home) and availability (illicit drug traffic changes) are among the significant factors. In addition, mental health factors (depression, anxiety) and social isolation are common correlates with substance use. These factors may be of specific importance impacting substance use in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exemplary is an increase in the use of sleeping medication among Belgian adolescents and young adults. In the current presentation data of national (Belgium) surveys on substance use in adolescents will be presented and discussed within the context of findings in international surveys.

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Maternal health cannot be separated from infant, child and adolescent health, which includes mental health as well. Expecting mothers go through a number of changes during their pregnancy. Due to the specific alterations of their physique and immune system, pregnant mothers are more vulnerable to the Covid-19 infection. This highlights the importance of the vaccinations in their cases.

During the pandemic, mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and stress aroused in greater numbers. This affected mothers, and younger children as well. Expecting mothers, without pre-existing mental disorder (>50%) reported a weightier level of anxiety in their first trimester. Also, infants can suffer developmental disadvantages, as their infected mothers are separated from them. Even though evidence is not yet clear in this topic, vertical transmission seems to be fairly uncommon.

Treatment guidelines, that could help Covid-19 infected mothers to handle their infants, are scarce. Hence the importance of telehealth has started to be outlined. Separation from the children might be necessary, while the mental health of mother and infant is continuously screened, since the long-term consequences of the symptoms are still unknown. Hence, prevention is imperative to avoid any negative effects. Even still, WHO advises mothers to breastfeed safely, with good respiratory hygiene, emphasizing the importance of skin-to-skin contact of newborns and sharing the room with them.

On policy level: investment into pre-, peri-, post-natal care, family supporting national programs, inter-sectoral collaborations, monitoring and research are important elements of prevention and treatment efforts during the Epidemic and the post-Covid-19 era.