The trends and demographics of suicide hanging deaths at Sir Salimullah Medical College in Dhaka during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 epidemic is still causing major public health issues as well as problems with finances, society, and psychology. Many people committed suicide during the pandemic because to various circumstances, including financial difficulties, stress, and loneliness. When it came to suicide, hanging was the most popular method.

Objective: The goal of the current study was to draw attention to the trends and demographics of suicide hanging deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method and Materials: A two-year retrospective study of deaths due to hanging from January 2020 to December 2021 was conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology at the Sir Salimullah Medical College in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Post-mortem records and police inquest results were reviewed. Examining the various death profiles of hanging and comparing the findings with earlier studies were the goals of the current study.

Result: The majority of the cases in our study were between the ages of 21 and 30, and 50.6% of them were female. Married people made up the majority of the cases (59.6%). For ligature, orna was the most popular option (59%) followed by rope (16.9%) and gamcha (11.2%). The majority of instances, or 14% of the total, were noted on July 25.

Conclusion: Suicide by hanging during COVID pandemic is still one of the leading causes of death; depression, sadness, rage, poverty, family strife, mental illness, physical assault, and unemployment are some of the contributing factors. This problem should be addressed by the government and non-governmental groups by emphasizing stress management and offering suitable mental health education.