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Reasons for Suicide Attempts in South India during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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. These factors eventually increase suicidality and suicidal behavior. This study intends to evaluate the reasons for suicide attempts 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 for a suicide attempt because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Methods: A single examiner conducted a structured interview with a pretested questionnaire with each participant. Participants were asked to indicate the primary reason or motivation for their suicide attempt. Patients answered a set of questions regarding personal and family concerns (marginalization, fear and uncertainty, domestic abuse, loneliness, grief over loss of loved one) and work-related concerns (economic fallout, high-risk environment, shortage of personnel and personal protective equipment [PPE]). We employed mean and standard deviation to descriptively analyze quantitative variables. Categorical variables were expressed in terms of 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. Results: The mean age of participants was 29.47±11.06 years, the majority (43.63%) of which were aged between 21 to 40 years of age. The majority (72.53%) of participants reported personal and family concerns as reasons/motivation for suicide, whereas only 17.58% reported work-related concerns. There was a statistically significant difference across reason or motivation for suicide with age (in years) and gender (P value < 0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that more than half of the patients indicated personal and family concerns as the major reason for suicide attempts during the pandemic. It is vital to emphasize the mental health well-being of the population and take proactive steps to minimize its detrimental effects during the COVID-19 pandemic.