Public health officials were concerned enough about the suicides of foreign nationals in Liverpool last year that they launched an investigation.
The review, commissioned by Liverpool Council's Public Health team, followed the deaths of four people, including one who was seeking asylum, during the period of the coronavirus pandemic.
As the investigation was taking place another asylum seeker died by apparent suicide.
A report to the board of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust in September, which runs most mental health services in the city, said: "The Trust has recently taken part in a review of suicides of foreign nationals in Liverpool under the direction of Public Health.
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"This was in response to identification of deaths by suicide, during the pandemic, to review any possible links.
"Four of the deaths were by foreign nationals, one was an asylum seeker and three others were not related by country of origin or status (which is unknown). All four were identified to mental health services.
"On enquiry only three were known to Mersey Care, although there was a fourth death by a foreign national who was also an asylum seeker during the review.
"A series of meetings were held with all stakeholders across health, social care and voluntary sector. This was to review potential for cluster or contagion pattern of suicidality, identify themes, and any need for system and partnership working."
Mersey Care said researchers concluded there was "no causal link" between the deaths, but vowed to implement "learning from this review process".
A Liverpool City Council spokeswoman said: “We work hard with partners to understand and identify the reasons why someone has taken their own life and learn lessons.
“Last year (2020), Public Health Liverpool commissioned a review of suicides of foreign nationals during the pandemic with partners from the health, social care and the voluntary sector to assess any possible links between them, to identify themes, and any need for additional partnership working.
"It concluded that there was no causal link between the unfortunate deaths, but learning from the investigation is to be shared.
“There have been no further deaths by suicide of foreign nationals recorded since the original investigation.
"However, all partners acknowledge the need for learning lessons from all these tragic deaths.
"The advent of Covid-19 has delayed implementation of the planned learning event, however partners remain committed to monitoring these deaths as and when they happen and offering interventions to those who may have been adversely affected."
Enter your postcode below to find the latest coronavirus figures where you live:
The numbers of mental health patients whose deaths are referred to the coroner spiked by almost 50% during the months of the pandemic, while Office for National Statistics figures suggested depression and anxiety has increase dramatically.
In August, Mersey Care noted a worrying rise in aggression by mental health inpatients, assaults on staff and deaths of mental health service users.
Nationally, the Centre for Mental Health has predicted that +up to 10 million people will need mental health support following the scars of the pandemic.
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