What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate how home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced female suicide rates in Japan.

January 14, 2026Health Economics0 citationsOpen Access

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

YIYoko Ibuka HKHaruo KakehiUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison RKRyuki KobayashiKeio University

Key Points

To evaluate how home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced female suicide rates in Japan.
Employed a shift-share instrumental variable design
Assessed changes in suicide incidence related to pandemic exposure
Conducted counterfactual analyses to estimate suicide attribution to home confinement
Found increased suicide rates among females under 20 years old
Attributed at least 35% of these suicides to home confinement
Lifestyle changes during the pandemic contributed significantly to the increase.

Abstract

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.

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