Suicidal behaviour and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: Insights from Durkheim’s sociology of suicide

Abstract

Whilst suicide is well established as a critical global public health burden causing around 800,000 deaths annually along with many more attempts, there is a concern that the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic might intensify suicidality. The purpose of this study is to draw attention to the budding correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and suicidality from the theoretical perspective of Emile Durkheim's sociology of suicide. A review of online newspaper databases (1 January to 30 April 2020) that reported suicide cases and attempts triggered as a result of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were included and analysed. Out of the 28 identified cases, there were three suicide attempts, one homicide-suicide/pact-suicide, and 24 suicides spanning 10 countries. Durkheim explained the social causation of suicide and provided a four-fold suicide typology. The cases were analysed according to their appropriate typology, and classified as egoistic (9), altruistic (3), anomic (8), and fatalistic (8). Durkheim suggests that the rise and fall of suicide rates will depend on the nature of social change. As society is undergoing massive social disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, suicide rates may increase unless suicide prevention measures align with the current social reconstruction process.