Suicide and Suicidal Behaviors in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Without integration of the available information, appropriate suicide preventive actions can be hindered. Therefore, this study attempts to review the Bangladeshi COVID-19-related suicide studies for the first time. Methods For conducting a systematic review, the PRISMA guideline was adhered. Bangladeshi literatures concerning the COVID-19 pandemic related to either suicide case or suicidal behavior were identified within 1 to 10 April 2021, from the databases like PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, etc. Finally, a total of 9 literatures were included in this review. Results Four literatures were cross-sectional studies assessing the prevalence and risk factors of suicidal behavior, and the rest five were retrospective suicide studies concerned with either case study (n=3) or case-series study (n=2). The prevalence of suicidal ideation was identified to be ranging between 5% and 19.0%, whereas the rate increased over time of the pandemic inception. Significant risk factors concerning suicidal behavior included the factors related to (i) socio-demographic variables: female gender, being divorced or widows or widowers or single in marital status, having lower levels of education, being urban residence, belonging to higher socioeconomic class, being unemployed, and having no children, (ii) behavior and health-related variables: lack of physical exercise, cigarette smoking, alcohol consuming, abnormal sleep status, more exposure to social media, and suffering from the higher number of physical health problems; (iii) COVID-19 pandemic-related variables: lower knowledge of COVID-19, lack of preventive COVID-19 behaviors, higher levels of COVID-19 fear, living in highly COVID-19 infected area, higher economic loss due to the pandemic, and experiencing relatives or acquaintances’ death by the COVID-19; (iv) psychopathological variables: depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, suicidal thought history, suicide attempt history, and family with a history of suicide. Conclusion Implementing cost-effective mental health strategies along with social and community awareness for increasing help-seeking behaviors of suicide risky individuals is highly suggested.

Insomnia in Bangladeshi Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Behavioral Factors, COVID-19 Risk and Fear, and Mental Health Issues

“…In respect to gender-based insomnia suffering, female participants are reported at higher risk in this study, which is similar to the prior Bangladeshi studies conducted in the periods of normal [ 29 , 30 ] or pandemic [ 15 , 17 – 19 ]. Generally, females are highly prone to mental health suffering, a finding that is also consistent with the pandemic-related Bangladeshi studies [ 7 , 8 ]. In addition, the female gender is being reported to have higher knowledge and fear of COVID-19 [ 31 – 33 ], which can be the risk predictors of such a situation because other studies reported COVID-19 fear increasing sleep problems [ 18 ].…”

“…There is enough evidence suggesting the impact of lockdown on economic conditions and mental wellbeing. Economic disruptions made by the pandemic is reported as the prominent suicide stressors in Bangladesh [ 7 ], which links to worsening mental health conditions, as suggested by the recent systematic reviews of the studies [ 7 , 8 ]. There are a number of studies on mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress; however, sleep problems are somewhat less studied in Bangladesh, although it is a major mental disorder [ 8 ].…”

Fear of COVID 19 Infection Across Different Cohorts: A Scoping Review

“…However, four major types of suicide stressors have been identified in the prior pandemics, whereas fear of being infected was regarded as the prominent suicide factor followed by social isolation, disruption of normal life, and burden of longterm illness (8,9). In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, fear of COVID-19 infection is also reported as the main suicide mediating factor (1,7,10,11). Studies have identified various domains of fear related to the fear of COVID-19 infection, such as fear of oneself or their family members getting infected, fear of having economic losses and being unemployed, or fear of avoidance behaviors toward gaining knowledge about the pandemic or fear of making decisions on showing or not showing actions like whether to visit parents or not, whether to look for information on death rates or not, etc.…”

Emerging Psychiatric Themes in Post-COVID-19 Patients on a Psychiatry Consultation-liaison Service

“…One study assessing the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 high- and middle-income countries found that suicide rates were unchanged or even declined [ 45 ]. A systematic review looking at COVID-19-related suicide trends in Bangladesh found the prevalence of suicidal ideations to range between 5–19% and to increase as the pandemic progressed [ 46 ]. Another study found that the risk of COVID-19-related suicide increased within the first week of diagnosis, particularly during the acute phase while receiving treatment in a hospital [ 47 ].…”