Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34789935›Full record

ArticleIndian journal of psychiatry

Hunger, fear, and isolation - A qualitative analysis of media reports of COVID-19-related suicides in India.

Madhumitha Balaji, Vikram Patel

Open access · diamondAbstract read
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Article in Indian journal of psychiatry. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Madhumitha BalajiSangath, Goa, India.
Vikram PatelSangath, Goa, India.
Harvard Global Health Institute · USMaastricht University · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndia's suicide rates are among the highest in the world and may increase further as a consequence of COVID-19. There is a need to examine which pandemic related stressors may be contributing to suicide, in order to inform the deployment of suicide prevention strategies, for the current as well as future pandemics.

aimTo understand pandemic related stressors contributing to suicide in India.

methodsWe identified and conducted a thematic analysis of Internet media reports of COVID-19 related suicides in India between February 1, 2020 (2 days after the first COVID-19 case), and May 31, 2020, (the end of phase four of the nationwide lockdown).

resultsTen pandemic stressors spanning both disease and lockdown-related factors were identified in 291 suicides. Economic hardship was present in a third; other notable stressors were: fear of the virus; isolation; desperation to be connected with loved ones or return home; and craving for alcohol. Men and young people seemed particularly vulnerable to these stressors.

conclusionsCOVID-19 related suicides appear to be precipitated by social and economic adversities, mainly associated with containment strategies. These findings need to be confirmed by national suicide data. Suicide prevention strategies should mitigate the impact of recognized stressors in the long term, target high-risk individuals, and offer mental health care alongside containment strategies.

Indexed as

COVID-19Indiasuicide

Identifiers

PMID34789935
PMCPMC8522606
OpenAlexW3205200196

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.