Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Even before the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 COVID-19 pandemic, suicide continued to be a major public health concern. Globally, someone dies by suicide every 40 s, and for each death, there are 20 more persons attempting suicide. A recently published article rightly stated the need for a ‘population-based approach’ to suicide prevention to mitigate suicide attempts. This paper further adds that there must be a stronger multi-agency or multi-sectoral approach to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. This paper concludes with few suggestions on how to address the COVID-19-related suicide cases as the world continues to fight against the double pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19, intervention, pandemic, suicide
Although not a disease, suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Globally, someone dies by suicide every 40 s, and for each death, there are 20 more persons attempting suicide.1 Such figures demonstrate that suicide continues to be a major public health concern while we are experiencing a global pandemic. Suicide rates during the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 COVID-19 pandemic are in line with the trend in previous years.2 While this COVID-19-related suicide has drawn much attention in the media today, the issue has been less discussed in academia. In the Philippines, some Filipinos view mental illness as a lack of faith, and mental illness continues to be stigmatized, despite the introduction of mental health law in 2018. I do concur with the recent correspondence which emphasizes that ‘suicide prevention is a more serious case as it deals with an existential crisis, which is not necessarily spiritual’.3
We have much to learn from our history. There is some evidence that deaths by suicide increased in the USA during the 1918–19 influenza pandemic4 and among older people in Hong Kong during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic.5 During an outbreak or pandemic, we have seen an increase in suicide ideation and behavior among at-risk populations.5 On 16 March 2021, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority suggest that deaths due to ‘intentional self-harm’ in 2020 increased to 25.7%, making it the 27th leading cause of death in 2020, from rank 31st in 2019.6 However, suicide prevention is given a low priority in the Philippines due to competing health problems, stigma and poor understanding of its meaning. As a response to this crisis, the Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), is jointly raising awareness on the importance of public mental health, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.7
I would like to propose possible solutions of prevention, intervention and postvention in the context of COVID-19 suicide cases. First, when individuals may be experiencing heightened anxiety, depression and stress caused by COVID-19 and accompanying lockdown measures, having access to trained and caring counselors may be critical for a person’s mental well-being. Second, there must be a stronger multiagency approach to suicide prevention, intervention and postvention, where policy makers, psychiatrists, psychologists and other health care professionals collaborate to control the possible suicide events during the COVID-19 pandemic and during future possible crisis. Finally, people at risk for suicide can get psychological help online.8
There is an urgent need to address the COVID-19-related suicide cases as the world continues to fight against the double pandemic. Considering the possibility that suicidal thoughts and behavior can be learned and unlearned, promotion of self-love and self-care among children and youth in schools and universities can be a useful long-term approach for eliminating suicide rates. Expressions of love, understanding, patience and hope will make the world a better place to live in.
Jeff Clyde G. Corpuz, Assistant Professorial Lecturer
Funding
No funding was received for this paper.
Conflict of interest
The author declares no conflict of interest in this paper.
References
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