Covid-19 outbreak and risk of suicide: psycho-social outlook

Abstract

Many studies claim that the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has profound social and psychological impacts around the world. Researches indicate that Covid-19 epidemic is associated with fear, anxiety and depression, restlessness among healthcare workers and general public. Social isolation, fear, anxiety and other chronic psychological distress may lead for creating suicidal thought among vulnerable people, individuals who have psychiatric disorder and who live in a high risk Covid-19 prevalence areas. Covid-19 survivors may also be at upturned suicide risk. The Covid-19 pandemic may increase suicide rate during and after the calamity. This crisis including suicidal ideation which likely to be existing for a long time even after the actual epidemic. To reduce the rate of suicide, it is important to reduce fear, anxiety, stress and loneliness among people. This study suggests that health sectors in all countries should initiate suitable and proper campaigns to promote mental health service and decrease psychological difficulties including fear, anxiety, depression, stress of loneliness and social isolation in order to overcome the battle against suicide during and after Covid-19 pandemic.