Журнал аддиктивного поведения, терапии и реабилитации

Suicide in the time of a pandemic: the crisis when two emergencies meet

Tanay Maiti

Self harm, or the extreme of it i.e. suicide has always remained among the top priority of mental healthcare services obviously because of its irreversible nature. This extreme mental health emergency certainly gets challenged during other health emergencies like the current ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. Other than the vulnerable group who are already on mental health support, most people facing this new type of crisis for the very first time in their life turns prone to various psychological issues, among which some can even progress to various psychiatric diagnosis. The extreme grave outcome of suicidal attempt or a completed suicidal act is neither rare as has been evidenced across various countries out of different yet significant (probable) reasons. Needless to say, when health care system and access to it both are compromised, care for mental health turns even more inaccessible both from caregiver and care seeker’s side. Along with the irreparable loss of the very individual, both the short and long term effect on the family members remains massive for long, if not for lifetime. Other than individually provided person specific care using various gadget or telemedicine options; creating selfhelp group, following basic coping strategies, community screening and periodic monitoring can turn very effective for the vulnerable population. Appropriate mental health policy by the lawmakers and inclusion of the same in the disaster management system will surely smoothen the global mental health during similar future emergencies.