Am J Med Public Health | Volume 2, Issue 4 | Research Article | Open Access
Mohammad Mohiuddin Hasan1, Safaet Hossain Sujan2,3*, Rafia Tasnim2,3, Abu Bakkar Siddique3, Mohosina Akter3, Arif Hossain4,5 and Sonia Mukhtar6
1Hospital Services Management, DGHS, Bangladesh
2Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Bangladesh
3Centre for Advanced Research Excellence in Public Health, Bangladesh
4Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chitagong, Bangladesh
5Department of Food Science and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
6University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
*Correspondance to: Safaet Hossain Sujan
Fulltext PDFBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented rise in unemployment and job-losses because of restrictions on movement and business operations. Joblessness plays a role in the development of mental health issues and it is rapidly growing in Bangladesh due to COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, suicide rates have devastatingly increased during periods of pandemic, economic distress and increasing joblessness conditions. The port-city (Chittagong) of Bangladesh had recorded its highest job-losses in the decades. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors of suicidal ideation among the individuals who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A face-to-face survey was held in port-city Chittagong between October 2020 to December 2020. This study employed a cross-sectional design on a sample of 393 individuals (>18 years). Data were collected on socio-demographics characteristics, economic abilities and suicidal ideation due to job-losses. Results: Among 393 respondents 28.2% were female and 71.8% male (SD=8.912). A majority (59.8%) of the respondents belong to the lower class. A large number (58.26%) of the respondents have suicidal ideation. The potentials risk factors found in the present study included being lower economic status, middle-age, indebted, one earning member in the family and experiencing financial hardship. Conclusion: High-level suicidality has been noticed in the study which is very alarming for public health. Job-losses have been marked as a key factor for suicide-ideation among individuals. Effective and appropriate strategies should be taken before another public health emergency of suicide could happen.
COVID-19 pandemic; Economic downturn; Job losses; Port-city Chittagong; Financial hardship; Suicidal ideation
Hasan MM, Sujan SH, Tasnim R, Siddique AB, Akter M, Hossain A, et al. Joblessness and Suicidal Ideation Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross- Sectional Pilot Survey in Bangladesh. Am J Med Public Health. 2021; 2(4): 1027.