Page 21 - Intuition, Imagination and Innovation in Suicidology Conference. 12th Triple i | Virtual Conference | 25th–27th May 2021
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sing Homes or Besieged Castles: 12th Triple i | Virtual Conference | 25th–27th May 2021
Suicide Temptation in the Covid-19 World
Diego De Leo
Prof. Diego De Leo (the head of Slovene Centre for Suicide Research and profes-
sor of Psychiatry at the Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia), is considered as
one of top five world leading experts in suicidology by international professional
and scientific public. His research expertise includes definitional issues in suici-
dology, culture and suicide, international trends and national suicide prevention
programs. He received numerous world-renowned awards for his scientific work.
His bibliography includes over 420 peer-reviewed articles and 180 book chapters.
Abstract. In Italy, Covid-19 developed with extreme virulence, presenting by
15 April 2021 an official number of deceased individuals well above 115,000
cases. Nursing homes, neglected for too long by government administrators,
have paid a very high tribute to the lack of protective measures and social di-
stancing that Covid-19 has imposed. In just twenty days, from 7 March to 26
March 2020, over 600 deaths occurred in nursing homes in the province of
Bergamo (Lombardy), with a total accommodation capacity of 6,400 beds.
To date, it has been calculated that almost a quarter of all residents in nur-
sing home in northern Italy have died due to Covid-19, with a mortality of
Lombardy nursing homes varying between 10 and 50 of all residents. In so-
me cases, 3–4 guests died in a single day, in a single nursing home. During
the first phases of the pandemic, nursing homes become like castles under
siege, where guests could no longer leave and new guests could no longer
enter, given the spread of the infection within these institutions. Residents
seemed to face fear of disease and anguish for its threatening consequen-
ces with attitudes ranging from continuous praying (a rosary to pray was a
frequent request from residents) to a nihilistic form of fatalism (‘I can only
hope death will come without too much suffering’). Health workers wearing
protections, which reminded them that the virus was highly contagious, we-
re very frightening. Doctors felt powerless and completely disoriented. They
saw their colleagues become infected and die despite protections and cau-
tions. Doctors were unable to make good clinical predictions: some patients
seemed to be seriously ill but recovered, whereas others appeared to be qui-
te fine then died. Swab tests were initially only done in hospitals, when pa-
tients became symptomatic. In any case, since doctors and other operators
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-068-4.21 21
Suicide Temptation in the Covid-19 World
Diego De Leo
Prof. Diego De Leo (the head of Slovene Centre for Suicide Research and profes-
sor of Psychiatry at the Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia), is considered as
one of top five world leading experts in suicidology by international professional
and scientific public. His research expertise includes definitional issues in suici-
dology, culture and suicide, international trends and national suicide prevention
programs. He received numerous world-renowned awards for his scientific work.
His bibliography includes over 420 peer-reviewed articles and 180 book chapters.
Abstract. In Italy, Covid-19 developed with extreme virulence, presenting by
15 April 2021 an official number of deceased individuals well above 115,000
cases. Nursing homes, neglected for too long by government administrators,
have paid a very high tribute to the lack of protective measures and social di-
stancing that Covid-19 has imposed. In just twenty days, from 7 March to 26
March 2020, over 600 deaths occurred in nursing homes in the province of
Bergamo (Lombardy), with a total accommodation capacity of 6,400 beds.
To date, it has been calculated that almost a quarter of all residents in nur-
sing home in northern Italy have died due to Covid-19, with a mortality of
Lombardy nursing homes varying between 10 and 50 of all residents. In so-
me cases, 3–4 guests died in a single day, in a single nursing home. During
the first phases of the pandemic, nursing homes become like castles under
siege, where guests could no longer leave and new guests could no longer
enter, given the spread of the infection within these institutions. Residents
seemed to face fear of disease and anguish for its threatening consequen-
ces with attitudes ranging from continuous praying (a rosary to pray was a
frequent request from residents) to a nihilistic form of fatalism (‘I can only
hope death will come without too much suffering’). Health workers wearing
protections, which reminded them that the virus was highly contagious, we-
re very frightening. Doctors felt powerless and completely disoriented. They
saw their colleagues become infected and die despite protections and cau-
tions. Doctors were unable to make good clinical predictions: some patients
seemed to be seriously ill but recovered, whereas others appeared to be qui-
te fine then died. Swab tests were initially only done in hospitals, when pa-
tients became symptomatic. In any case, since doctors and other operators
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-068-4.21 21
