Research & action to reduce homicide-suicides during stressful times

AUB Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Elias Ghossoub analyzed global research to identify high risk factors for homicide-suicides – when someone kills someone and then commits suicide – during high stress periods such as pandemics. Because these rare events have such serious consequences, Dr Ghossoub and his colleagues have analyzed data in Lebanon that matches known symptoms of homicide-suicides. These include higher rates of depression and suicide thoughts, as witnessed in Lebanon these days. This prompted him to design recommendations for psychiatrists and MDs to screen all their patients for` troubling symptoms. He also explains other high risk symptoms associated with this phenomenon, and his recommendations for immediate interventions.