No abstract

We aimed to do a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies describing suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide and associated risk factors during COVID-19 pandemic. We searched following electronic databases using relevant search terms: Medline, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL and systematically reviewed the evidence following PRISMA guidelines. The meta-analysis of prevalence of suicidal ideation was done using random effect model. The search returned 972 records, we examined 106 in full text and included 38 studies describing 120,076 participants. Nineteen studies described suicide or attempted self-harm, mostly in case reports. Out of 19 studies describing suicidal ideations, 12 provided appropriate data for meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation in these studies was 12.1% (CI 9.3-15.2). Main risk factors for suicidal ideations were: low social support, high physical and mental exhaustion and poorer self-reported physical health in frontline medical workers, sleep disturbances, quarantine and exhaustion, loneliness, and mental health difficulties. We provide first meta-analytic estimate of suicidal ideation based on large sample from different countries and populations. The rate of suicidal ideations during COVID pandemic is higher than that reported in studies on general population prior to pandemic and may result in higher suicide rates in future.

This study highlights the importance of fiscal decentralization in promoting a sustainable environment. The literature on the importance of fiscal decentralization in affecting environmental quality is scant, and thus, this study attempts to fill the gap by incorporating the linear and nonlinear terms of fiscal decentralization as possible determinants for CO2 emissions. Particularly, we utilize data from seven highly fiscally decentralized countries, that is, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland, over the period 1990–2018. For empirical analysis, advanced panel data econometric tools are used that can deal with both heterogeneous coefficients and dependence of cross‐sections. The findings confirm that linear and nonlinear terms of fiscal decentralization improve the environment by reducing CO2 emissions. Moreover, gross domestic product (GDP) increases, while eco‐innovation and renewable energy usage reduce CO2 emissions. This study recommends that any policy that targets green growth will affect CO2 emissions. Moreover, policies targeting fiscal decentralization, GDP, eco‐innovation, and renewable energy will play the role in more than 1 year, namely in the long run.

The present study is a comprehensive investigation of the attitude toward psychiatry from Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur (Pakistan). A total of 538 students were studied using a 50-item Scale (ATP 30). Responses of the students were collected from classes of 1st year and 4th year and a comparison was calculated on year wise and gender wise basis. The results are presented and discussed.