Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine

Life is precious in all forms and stakes rise when it concerns the most advance species on our planet i.e humans. COVID-19 pandemic has been the most challenging time for human civilization in 21st century. Billions infected, millions dying, reeling health infrastructure, economic meltdown pushed people to their wits end, traumatising them physically, crippling them economically and psychologically. Physical and economic damage may be adjudged by morbidity, mortality figures and GDP but psychological derangements are very difficult to assess as their effect can be long lasting and far reaching. An attempt was made in this study to assess this by studying the most severely affected individuals who resorted to ending their lives. A retrospective study was conducted to study & statistically compare the profile parameters of suicide deaths during the two peak of COVID-19 pandemic (2020 & 2021) and years preceding it (2017 & 2018) brought for autopsy at an apex tertiary care centre in Haryana. It was found that there was an increase in number of suicide cases per year as the pandemic progressed along with rise in ratio of male to female cases and change in distribution of cases in different age groups with preponderance of younger age groups.