key: cord-0772952-kzk7n3ja
authors: Thakur, Vikram; Jain, Anu
title: COVID 2019-Suicides: A global psychological pandemic
date: 2020-04-23
journal: Brain Behav Immun
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.062
sha: 8fadb035a5624757bee8f9773e6cb2aba8ec84d8
doc_id: 772952
cord_uid: kzk7n3ja

nan

From medical staff to common people" recently published in the 'Brain, Behavior, and Immunity' motivated us to pen down a concise yet, informative viewpoint entitled "COVID-2019-suicides: A global psychological pandemic". 24,81,026 is the fearsome and huge number of COVID-19 cases with 1,70,423 deaths being reported from around the world (2) is complicating the situation and difficult to control. The realization of the non-availability of vaccine and/or effective antiviral drug against SARS-CoV-2 virus, and understanding that social distancing and quarantine/self-isolation is the only available remedy to us, forced the governments of most of the countries to declare the nationwide lock down.

So far the only advice or the option against the disastrous COVID-19 is screening of suspected person for SARS-CoV-2, if comes positive, then quarantine/self-isolation in addition to supportive treatment. However, few cases have been reported around the world where people out of fear of getting COVID-19 infection, social stigma, isolation, depression, anxiety, emotional imbalance, economic shutdown, lack and/or improper knowledge, financial and future insecurities took their lives. With recent suicide reports we can anticipate the rippling effect of this virus on worldwide suicide events. However, the basic psychology and inability of the person and the mass society to deal with the situation are the major factors behind these COVID-19 suicides pandemic.

Social Isolation/distancing induce a lot of anxiety in many citizens of different country.

However, the most vulnerable are those with existing mental health issues like depression and older adults living in loneliness and isolation. Such people are self-judgemental, have extreme suicidal thoughts. Imposed isolation and quarantine disrupts normal social lives and created psychological fear and feeling like trapped, for an indefinite period of time. The first suicidal case was reported from south India on 12 th Feb 2020, where Balakrishna, a 50-year-old man wrongly co-related his normal viral infection to COVID-19 (3). Although out of fear and love for his family, he quarantined himself, but later committed suicide, as he was psychologically 

Scientists across the world are trying hard to develop vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, and antivirals like Favipiravir and Ramdesivir are now under phase III clinical trials to treat clinical manifestation of COVID-19 disease. However, a total of 6,46,675 COVID-19 infected patients had already been recovered (2) and now different approaches need to be implemented to deal with COVID-19 related psychological stress. COVID-19 is a global crisis, so collective efforts are required to deal with this global pandemic. Emotional distress people need to first set the limit of COVID-19 related news consumption from local, national, international, social and digital platform and the sources must be authentic like CDC and WHO. One needs to maintain connectedness and solidarity despite the physical distance.. Individuals with the previous history of suicidal thoughts, panic and stress disorder, low selfesteem and low self-worth, are easily susceptible to catastrophic thinking like suicide in such viral pandemic. Indirect clues need to be noticed with great care, where people often say 'I'm tired of life', 'no one loves me', 'leave me alone' and so on. On suspecting such behaviour in person, we can pull together the people struggling with suicidal ideation to make them feel loved and protective.

Socio-psychology needs and interventions for mental rehabilitation should be designed. Telecounselling along with, 24x7 crisis response service for emotional, mental and behavioural support need to be implemented. However, majority of the countries are already practicing and implementing these measures. Health care policies and the perception for the COVI-19 health care professionals need to be strengthening as reported from Chinese studies (10, 11).

Government recommendations to work from home, and travel less advisories restricted our social life, but, we can spend time indoor with our families, connect to friends on social media, and engage in mindfulness activities, till we all win this battle. 

The emotional impact of COVID-19: From medical staff to common people

Fear of COVID 2019: First suicidal case in India! (2020) Asian Journal of Psychiatry

Suicide mortality and coronavirus disease 2019-A perfect storm? (2020) JAMA Psychiatry

First COVID-19 case in Bangladesh due to fear of COVID-19 and xenophobia: Possible suicide prevention strategies

Vicarious traumatization in the general public, member, and non-members of medical teams aiding in COVID-19 control

Impact on mental health and perceptions of psychological care among medical and nursing staff in Wuhan during the 2019 novel coronavirus disease outbreak: A cross-sectional study

Both were facing social boycott and religious discrimination from their neighbours in the suspicion of positive COVID-19 report. Resulted in isolation, stigma and finally depression.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com /city/madurai/stigma-over-covidtesting-blamed-for-manssuicide/articleshow/74939681.cms (Accessed on 8 April 2020) https://www.livemint.com/news/ind ia/facing-social-boycott-covid-19negative-man-commits-suicide-inhimachal-s-una-11586090515081.html (Accessed on 9 April 2020)