# The Effect of Voluntary Staying at Home on Japanese Female Suicide During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

## TL;DR

This study found that increased home confinement during the pandemic contributed to a rise in suicides among young Japanese women.

## Contribution

The study uses a novel instrumental variable design to link home confinement to increased suicide rates in young females.

## Key findings

- Suicide rates among females under 20 increased with more people staying at home during the pandemic.
- At least 35% of these suicides were attributed to lifestyle changes caused by home confinement.
- The results suggest lifestyle changes, not just pandemic stress, contributed to the suicide increase.

## Abstract

In Japan, female suicide increased during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study evaluated how pandemic‐related home confinement affected female suicide. We employed a shift‐share instrumental variable design to assess whether differential exposure to the pandemic caused changes in suicide incidence. We found that suicide increased among females under 20 years of age as more people stayed at home. Counterfactual analyses showed that at least 35% of these suicides were attributed to home confinement. Our results suggest that a substantial part of the suicide increase among young females was driven by lifestyle changes during the pandemic.