Suicides are not just psychological or emotional factors

(Today we need urgent measures to deal with such cases, emotional distress. People first need to determine the extent of Kovid-19 related news consumption from local, national, international, social and digital platforms and all these sources are CDC and Must be authentic like WHO.)

Priyanka Saurabh

Research Scholar in Political Science

Poetess, Independent journalist and columnist,

Every 40 seconds, someone in the world dies. Sociologist Emil Durkheim famously hypothesized that 'suicides are not just psychological or emotional factors, but also social factors'.

There have been some cases worldwide where people have lost their lives due to fear of Kovid-19 infection, social stigma, isolation, depression, anxiety, emotional imbalance, economic shutdown, lack and/or inappropriate knowledge, financial, and future insecurity. Huh. Not only this, but the number of suicides in Bollywood stars of India has also steadily increased, we can estimate the increasing impact of this virus on the incidents of suicide around the world from the recent suicide reports. However, the basic psychology and inability of the individual and the mass society to deal with the situation are the major factors behind these Kovid-19 suicide epidemics.

Not only India, but the suicide rate has also increased rapidly around the world today because of the fluctuations in the economy due to Kovid. The data released showed that 466 persons, both men, and women, had died due to suicide in Himachal Pradesh in the last six months, especially from February to July 2020.

Social segregation/distance is the main cause of increasing suicides during the epidemic, it causes a lot of concern among many citizens of different countries. However, the most vulnerable are existing mental health issues such as depression and loneliness and isolation of older adults. Such people are self-decision makers with suicidal thoughts. Isolation and quarantine disrupt normal social life and leads to psychological fear and feeling trapped indefinitely. The government in lockdown advised us to work from home, restricting our social life.

The worldwide economic recession has led to a panic-stricken economic crisis, large-scale unemployment, poverty, and homelessness, possibly increasing the risk of suicide and will increase the rise in suicide attempts in such patients. Stress, anxiety, and pressure among medical health professionals today are immense and extreme. 50% of medical staff in British hospitals are ill, and at home, leaving high pressure on the remaining staff to deal with the situation. At King's College Hospital, London, a young nurse took her own life while treating Kovid-19 patients.

 Social exclusion and discrimination due to Kovid-19 have added some cases to the list of suicides. For example, the first Kovid-19 suicide case in Bangladesh, where a 36-year-old man committed suicide due to social avoidance by neighbors and ensured his moral conscience for not passing the virus on to his community

Today we need urgent measures to deal with such cases, emotional distress people first need to determine the extent of Kovid-19 related news consumption from local, national, international, social, and digital platforms and all these sources CDC and WHO Like it should be authentic.

We need to maintain connectedness and solidarity in a fragile period despite physical distance. Individuals with a history of suicidal thoughts, panic and stress disorder, low self-esteem, and low self-worth are easily susceptible to paranoid thinking such as suicide in a viral epidemic.

Indirect clues we need to watch very carefully, where people often say 'I'm tired of life', 'No one loves me', 'Leave me alone' and other similar ideas. Upon suspecting such behavior in person, we can pull together people struggling with suicidal tendencies to make them feel loved and protected.

Social rehabilitation needs and interventions should be designed for social rehabilitation. There is a need to implement tele-counseling with a 24 × 7 crisis response service for emotional, mental, and behavioral support. The person should be given psychological help and care. The state can seek help from non-governmental organizations as well as religious missionaries for this purpose.

Strengthening the existing National Mental Health Program and District Mental Health Program, as well as focusing on training resources and streamlining funds are some other recommendations for fighting depression and suicide. Long-term solutions such as helping unemployed people find meaningful work or training armies of contact trainers who are sent to communities to identify people at risk of a mental health crisis.


Suicide is preventable. People who are contemplating suicide often warn about their impending and current crisis. We can spend time with our families, connect with friends on social media, and until we all win this battle.

-- Priyanka Saurabh

Research Scholar in Political Science

Poetess, Independent journalist and columnist,