Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation
Studies indicate a high burden of mental health disorders among female sex workers (FSWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite available data on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among FSWs, little is known about suicide deaths in this hard-to-reach population. This study aims t...
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425124000748/type/journal_article |
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| author | Wendy L. Macias-Konstantopoulos Brian Willis Swarna Weerasinghe Emily Perttu Ian M. Bennett |
| author_facet | Wendy L. Macias-Konstantopoulos Brian Willis Swarna Weerasinghe Emily Perttu Ian M. Bennett |
| author_sort | Wendy L. Macias-Konstantopoulos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studies indicate a high burden of mental health disorders among female sex workers (FSWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite available data on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among FSWs, little is known about suicide deaths in this hard-to-reach population. This study aims to examine the extent to which suicide is a cause of maternal mortality among FSWs, the contexts in which suicides occur, and the methods used. From January to October 2019, the Community Knowledge Approach method for identifying cause-specific deaths in communities was employed across eight LMICs (Angola, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa). A total of one thousand two hundred eighty FSWs provided detailed reports on two thousand one hundred twelve FSW deaths in the preceding 5 years, including 288 (13.6%) suicides, 178 (61.8%) of which were maternal. Of these maternal suicides, 57.9% occurred during pregnancy (antepartum), 20.2% within two months of delivery (puerperium), and 21.9% in the 2–12 months following delivery (postpartum). The highest proportion of suicides occurred in Nigeria, Kenya, and DRC in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 504 children lost their mothers to suicide. Further research is needed to identify interventions for suicide risk among FSW mothers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-07bcc8d2aba94460b4f5aeb7e7d9cf7b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2054-4251 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
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| series | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-07bcc8d2aba94460b4f5aeb7e7d9cf7b2024-11-12T07:55:21ZengCambridge University PressCambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health2054-42512024-01-011110.1017/gmh.2024.74Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigationWendy L. Macias-Konstantopoulos0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5752-2104Brian Willis1Swarna Weerasinghe2Emily Perttu3Ian M. Bennett4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7139-9456Center for Social Justice and Health Equity, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Global Health Promise, Portland, OR, USAGlobal Health Promise, Portland, OR, USAGlobal Health Promise, Portland, OR, USA Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaGlobal Health Promise, Portland, OR, USADepartments of Family Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAStudies indicate a high burden of mental health disorders among female sex workers (FSWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite available data on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among FSWs, little is known about suicide deaths in this hard-to-reach population. This study aims to examine the extent to which suicide is a cause of maternal mortality among FSWs, the contexts in which suicides occur, and the methods used. From January to October 2019, the Community Knowledge Approach method for identifying cause-specific deaths in communities was employed across eight LMICs (Angola, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa). A total of one thousand two hundred eighty FSWs provided detailed reports on two thousand one hundred twelve FSW deaths in the preceding 5 years, including 288 (13.6%) suicides, 178 (61.8%) of which were maternal. Of these maternal suicides, 57.9% occurred during pregnancy (antepartum), 20.2% within two months of delivery (puerperium), and 21.9% in the 2–12 months following delivery (postpartum). The highest proportion of suicides occurred in Nigeria, Kenya, and DRC in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 504 children lost their mothers to suicide. Further research is needed to identify interventions for suicide risk among FSW mothers.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425124000748/type/journal_articlesuicidefemale sex workersmaternal mortalityprenatalmental health |
| spellingShingle | Wendy L. Macias-Konstantopoulos Brian Willis Swarna Weerasinghe Emily Perttu Ian M. Bennett Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health suicide female sex workers maternal mortality prenatal mental health |
| title | Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation |
| title_full | Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation |
| title_fullStr | Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation |
| title_short | Suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low- and middle-income countries: A community knowledge approach investigation |
| title_sort | suicide during pregnancy as a major contributor to maternal suicide among female sex workers in eight low and middle income countries a community knowledge approach investigation |
| topic | suicide female sex workers maternal mortality prenatal mental health |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425124000748/type/journal_article |
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