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Abstract
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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the physical health of individuals as well as their emotional and mental health. Strict lockdowns, quarantine policies, closure of international borders, and transitioning of in-person work at schools and universities to working online from home have limited social interactions and instilled anxiety, fear, stress, panic, and trauma. Preexisting psychiatric illnesses, isolation, unemployment, barriers to health care, and serious medical illness are all risk factors for suicide and suicidal behavior during COVID times.1
Wide-ranging factors such as social conventions, decreased availability of resources, and economic burden, along with an individual's specific psychosocial fragility in such circumstances, might contribute to a suicide attempt. The COVID-19 pandemic has been suggested to have a noteworthy effect on suicide rates because of its social and psychological consequences (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress) on people's lives.2
The Center of Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified several populations as particularly vulnerable to this pandemic. These encompass individuals aged over 65 years and people with preexisting diseases such as cardiac abnormalities, asthma, or renal disorder. In addition, those in an immune- deficient state, such as diabetes or HIV infection, are further at risk of acquiring COVID-19. Moreover, according to the CDC, people who were financially unstable, socially isolated, and homeless even before the pandemic appear to be at a higher risk and powerless against this pandemic.3 The impact of quarantine is likely to be more severe in already disadvantaged communities such as transgender people, especially with lockdown protocols, social distancing, economic burden, isolation, and limited access to community and religious activities, which can further deteriorate their mental well-being.3 Transgender people are those individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were designated at birth.4 According to the World Professional Association for Transgender (WPATH) Standard of Care, trans people are a diverse group who cross or transcend culturally recognized gender categories...
Language: en |