Reasons to Claim One’s Own Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: By increasing the risk of isolation, fear, stigma, abuse, and economic fallout, COVID-19 has led to an increase in the risk of psychiatric disorders, chronic trauma, and stress, which eventually increase suicidality and suicidal behavior.Thus, the present study intends to evaluate the reason for the attempt to suicide due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the south Indian population. Design: Cross-sectional study Setting: The study was conducted in R L Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre, Kolar. Participants: This study was conducted on 91 patients admitted to the general medicine department due to suicide attempt because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Methods: A single examiner conducted a structured interview with a pretested questionnaire to all the participants. Participants were asked to indicate the primary reason or motivation for the suicide attempt, consisting of a set of questions on personal and family reasons and work-related reasons. The questionnaire included personal and family concerns (marginalization, fear and uncertainty, domestic abuse, loneliness, grief over loss of loved one) and work-related reasons (economic fallout, high-risk environment, shortage of personnel and PPE). Descriptive analysis for quantitative variable was done by mean and standard deviation and for categorical variable was expressed in frequency, and proportion. For non-normally-distributed quantitative parameters, medians and interquartile range (IQR) were compared across study groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test (> 2 groups). Data was analyzed using coGuide software, V.1.03.