Abstract

In this paper, General Strain Theory (GST) is used as the theoretical framework for an interpretation of suicide in Arab communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is argued that GST can predict both the most common types of suicide during the pandemic, and the sources of the social constraints which lead to suicide. The paper utilizes previous research on GST as a lens through which to explain crime and suicide in Asian communities, especially those Arab communities which have witnessed suicide cases. The role of GST in interpreting Arab suicides during the pandemic is clearly shown, and the most common type of suicide is identified. The paper concludes that GST can be used to explain suicide cases during the pandemic in Arab communities. Based on the data analysis, anomic and fatalistic types of suicide were found to be the most common. In light of these results, it is recommended that further national and global scale studies are needed to determine the levels of fear, anxiety and depression caused by natural and manmade social constraints during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to control and reduce them.