ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: India's suicide rates are among the highest in the world and may increase further as a consequence of COVID-19. There is a need to examine which pandemic related stressors may be contributing to suicide, in order to inform the deployment of suicide prevention strategies, for the current as well as future pandemics. AIM: To understand pandemic related stressors contributing to suicide in India. METHODS: We identified and conducted a thematic analysis of Internet media reports of COVID-19 related suicides in India between February 1, 2020 (2 days after the first COVID-19 case), and May 31, 2020, (the end of phase four of the nationwide lockdown). RESULTS: Ten pandemic stressors spanning both disease and lockdown-related factors were identified in 291 suicides. Economic hardship was present in a third; other notable stressors were: fear of the virus; isolation; desperation to be connected with loved ones or return home; and craving for alcohol. Men and young people seemed particularly vulnerable to these stressors. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 related suicides appear to be precipitated by social and economic adversities, mainly associated with containment strategies. These findings need to be confirmed by national suicide data. Suicide prevention strategies should mitigate the impact of recognized stressors in the long term, target high-risk individuals, and offer mental health care alongside containment strategies.
ABSTRACT
Reports an error in "COVID-19 mental health impact and responses in low-income and middle-income countries: Reimagining global mental health" by Lola Kola, Brandon A. Kohrt, Charlotte Hanlon, John A. Naslund, Siham Sikander, Madhumitha Balaji, Corina Benjet, Eliza Yee Lai Cheung, Julian Eaton, Pattie Gonsalves, Maji Hailemariam, Nagendra P. Luitel, Daiane B. Machado, Eleni Misganaw, Olayinka Omigbodun, Tessa Roberts, Tatiana Taylor Salisbury, Rahul Shidhaye, Charlene Sunkel, Victor Ugo, Andre Janse van Rensburg, Oye Gureje, Soumitra Pathare, Shekhar Saxena, Graham Thornicroft and Vikram Patel (The Lancet Psychiatry, 2021[Jun], Vol 8[6], 535-550). In this Review, Lola Kola's degree should have been PhD and Brandon A Kohrt's degree should have been PhD. Madhumitha Balaji's affiliation should have been "Sangath, India". These corrections have been made to the online version as of Mar 8, 2021, and will be made to the printed version. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2021-51602-023.) Most of the global population live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), which have historically received a small fraction of global resources for mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly in many of these countries. This Review examines the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs in four parts. First, we review the emerging literature on the impact of the pandemic on mental health, which shows high rates of psychological distress and early warning signs of an increase in mental health disorders. Second, we assess the responses in different countries, noting the swift and diverse responses to address mental health in some countries, particularly through the development of national COVID-19 response plans for mental health services, implementation of WHO guidance, and deployment of digital platforms, signifying a welcome recognition of the salience of mental health. Third, we consider the opportunity that the pandemic presents to reimagine global mental health, especially through shifting the balance of power from high-income countries to LMICs and from narrow biomedical approaches to community-oriented psychosocial perspectives, in setting priorities for interventions and research. Finally, we present a vision for the concept of building back better the mental health systems in LMICs with a focus on key strategies;notably, fully integrating mental health in plans for universal health coverage, enhancing access to psychosocial interventions through task sharing, leveraging digital technologies for various mental health tasks, eliminating coercion in mental health care, and addressing the needs of neglected populations, such as children and people with substance use disorders. Our recommendations are relevant for the mental health of populations and functioning of health systems in not only LMICs but also high-income countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with wide disparities in quality of and access to mental health care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)