key: cord-1050926-697op93z authors: Mamun, Mohammed A.; Chandrima, Rubaiya Matin; Griffiths, Mark D. title: Mother and Son Suicide Pact Due to COVID-19-Related Online Learning Issues in Bangladesh: An Unusual Case Report date: 2020-07-07 journal: Int J Ment Health Addict DOI: 10.1007/s11469-020-00362-5 sha: dc8ded79fe8ec401c3af6eeae63d4941ba2739fc doc_id: 1050926 cord_uid: 697op93z nan , whereas the new case reported here relates to an unresolved argument related to online schooling issues caused by COVID-19 quarantine and spatial distancing policies. The online schooling-related quarrel and the son and mother both feeling the father's/ husband's oppression leading to the apparent suicide pact is an unusual finding in the suicide pact literature (Part et al., 2013) . Furthermore, the apparent reason for the suicides have not been reported in among COVID-19-related suicide pacts or single suicide cases published to date (e.g., Bhuiyan et al. 2020; Dsouza et al. 2020; Mamun and Ullah 2020; Shoib et al. 2020) . Previous Bangladeshi COVID-19 suicide cases have reported that financial problems caused by the national lockdown is the most prominent risk factor followed by fear of COVID-19 infection (Bhuiyan et al. 2020; . Findings from Bangladesh's neighboring countries such as India and Pakistan also suggest causative reasons for suicide to be (i) testing positive with COVID-19, (ii) being quarantined because of being suspected as having COVID-19, (iii) loneliness due to lockdown, (iv) social boycotting of those suspected of being infected with COVID-19, (v) COVID-19 work-related stress, (vi) being unable to come back home because of lockdown, and (vii) the unavailability of alcohol for individuals with alcohol use disorder (Dsouza et al. 2020; Mamun and Ullah 2020; Shoib et al. 2020) . Although suicide in Bangladesh due to academically related issues has been reported (e.g., exam failure, academic distress, quarreling and disagreeing with parents about what subjects to study, etc. , 2020c , 2020d , no previous Bangladeshi student suicide cases have been reported in a COVID-19-related context. A previous Indian victim was reported as being due to a COVID-19-related educational issue (i.e., a student being depressed due to exam postponement) but no suicides or suicide pacts as a consequence of online education-related issues caused by the pandemic have been reported in Bangladesh (Dsouza et al. 2020) . Additionally, an Indian teenage girl committed suicide because of being unable to attend online classes because she did not have a smartphone or a functional television to access the online materials (Lathabhavan and Griffiths 2020) . The world has changed dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and this has included education at all levels. For instance, it has been estimated that since the beginning of April 2020, approximately 90% of the total enrolled learners (i.e., 1.5 billion students) from 185 countries have been involved in little or no educational activities because of schools and higher education institutions' closure (Marinoni and de Wit 2020). Many universities implemented online classes and examinations to combat the lack of face-to-face contact. In Bangladesh (where the present suicide case was reported), the Minister of Education instructed all universities to introduce online education. Although this is perceived by some as an education-friendly policy (Islam 2020), a recent survey among 2038 students in 45 higher education institutes found that one-third of Bangladeshi students did not want to engage in online academic activities . The same study also reported that 55% of the students were not supported with proper Internet connections and 44.7% did not have access to a large screen smart device (i.e., laptop, PC, tablet, etc.) to engage effectively in online teaching . One of the most challenging aspects in attending online classes can be the residing location of the student. In rural areas, the accessibility of the high-speed Internet and broadband connections are limited. The online assessments and online class teaching are only feasible and effective for a small proportion of students (i.e., 13 and 18%, respectively; Islam et al. 2020) . Consequently, restlessness and agitation among many students who have been forced to engage in online teaching and testing are not uncommon (Islam 2020) . Such academically-related psychological burdens may lead to unstable mental states and suicidality in the extreme cases Griffiths 2020d, 2020e; . Based on the aforementioned discussion, it is evident that Bangladeshi as well as other lowand middle-income countries' (LMICs) governments should think carefully about online schooling before making it compulsory. Students from LMICs are much less likely to have access to the technology and related materials to support online schooling (i.e., large screens, high-speed Internet access, etc.). Furthermore, there has been a great economic crisis throughout the world (which also accounts for most of the COVID-19-related suicides in LMICs; Bhuiyan et al. 2020; Dsouza et al. 2020; Mamun and Ullah 2020) . Students who experience financial distress in their family and community have an increased likelihood of mental instability (Rafi et al. 2019) . Therefore, policymakers in LMICs should keep in mind that student well-being should come before mandatory online education when making decisions about schooling during the pandemic. 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