Suicidal behavior sociocultural factors in developing countries during COVID-19.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Sociocultural factors significantly influence suicidal behavior following pandemics.
• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated mental health challenges globally, particularly in developing countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze sociocultural risk and predisposing factors for suicidal ideation among mental health patients in Bangladesh, Colombia, India, and Pakistan.
• To understand the heterogeneity of these factors and propose specific interventions for suicide prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review of articles was conducted using PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar.
• Keywords included suicide, COVID-19, developing countries, sociocultural factors, and predisposing factors.
• Searches were limited to English-language articles, with no publication time restriction, up to March 2021.

Main Results:

• Sociocultural factors such as fear of infection, economic hardship, and resource scarcity due to lockdowns were primary drivers of increased suicides.
• The review identified specific cultural nuances contributing to suicidal behavior across the four studied developing countries.

Conclusions:

• Suicide prevention and intervention efforts have been insufficient in low-middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Practical suggestions include mitigating misinformation, establishing specialized helplines, and enhancing mental health service accessibility to address manpower shortages, fragile health systems, and poverty.