COVID-19, suicide, and femicide: Rapid Research using Google search phrases.

ABSTRACT

Psychologist Eric Miller of Kent State University has termed COVID-19 "the Loss and Trauma Event of Our Time." In this paper, I would like to problematize the public health response to the virus outbreak in light of two consequential and preventable traumas that shadow the COVID-19 calamity femicide and suicide. As public health reaction to the pandemic is seen to negatively increase rates of domestic violence and suicidality this research accessed rapidly available data using Google Date Range analysis by utilizing queries from pre- and post-pandemic comprising the months of March-August in the years 2019 and 2020. The aim of this rapid-response research is to glimpse the possible presence of psychological stress in online searches that relate to debilitation in the four foundational strata of Maslow's Hierarchy of Human needs (basic and psychological needs). To search basic needs related to COVID-19 the following categories were utilized in online search phrases in Google (US) precarity and insecurity. To search basic and psychological needs related to suicide the following categories were utilized in online search phrases in Google (US) despondency and helplessness. Finally, to search basic and psychological needs related to femicide the following categories were utilized in online search phrases in Google (US) indicative male violence and intentional male violence. Results show an overwhelming upsurge from all six categories from 31% to 106%.