Incidence of Deliberate Self-Harm in Hong Kong Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Population-Wide Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: COVID-19 ended on May 5, 2023, and since then Hong Kong reported increased mental distress, which was speculated to be from the policies implemented during the pandemic. Despite this, longitudinal surveillance of deliberate self-harm (DSH) incidences throughout the pandemic in Hong Kong remained insufficient.

Objective: The objective of this study was to outline the changes in DSH incidences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, with respect to sex, age, and co-occurring mental health issues.