Join us on Wednesday, September 10th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents U.S. Pregnancy-Associated Suicide, featuring Dr. Qing Li from Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (RM-SAHM) in Denver, Colorado.
Wednesday, September 10th, 2025
12 – 1:30pm MST
Pregnancy-associated suicide is a common cause of maternal mortality in the U.S. Intimate partner adversity (IPA)-including conflict, argument, jealousy, divorce, breakup, and violence- is a primary precipitating circumstance among general female suicide victims. IPA worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2018-2022 U.S. National Violent Death Reporting System. Among 406 incidents from the 36 jurisdictions with complete reporting from before to during the pandemic, annual incidents decreased by 12% from 84 (2018-2019) to 74 (2020-2021) and rose by 23% to 91 in 2022. The proportions of IPA and firearms both increased then decreased. Mental health problems (62%), IPA (43%), and firearms as the leading lethal means (39%) were common. Among 529 incidents from the 49 available jurisdictions, IPA-related suicides were more likely to involve firearms, anxiety disorders, alcohol problems, disclosed intent to intimate partner, and homicide-suicide (all p<0.05). Thirteen homicide-suicides claimed the lives of 20 children. Study findings highlight the distinct risks of IPA-related suicides and underscore the need for prevention strategies addressing mental health problems, IPA, firearm access, and alcohol use among women of reproductive age.
About the Speaker
Qing Li, MD, DrPH, is a board member of the Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine in Denver, Colorado. She is a certified relationship educator and an OB/GYN-trained perinatal and injury epidemiologist, holding a Doctor of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Li trained OB/GYNs in China on safe delivery practices and in Mississippi on intimate partner violence screening. Her work focuses on building integrated data systems, evaluating culturally tailored preventive interventions, public health laws, and collaborative quality improvement efforts, and promoting integrated systems of care. She is committed to promoting safe motherhood, health equity, relational health, and family resilience.