Fewer suicides in first two months of lockdown, police figures show
Dutch NewsThere has been a sharp drop in the number of suicides and attempted suicides over the past two months, but police have been called out to deal with more ‘disturbed’ individuals, according to data collected by the 25 regional safety teams and quoted by broadcaster NOS. The number of suicides since social distancing measures were introduced are down between 15% and 20%, the police figures show, even though experts had expected an increase. Bauke Koekoek, a lecturer in crisis nursing at the police academy, told broadcaster NOS that it is difficult to explain why there have been fewer suicides since the lockdown was introduced. ‘But it could also be that people are waiting to see what happens.’ In previous economic crisis there has been an increase in the number of suicides, NOS said.