Mortality from Tuberculosis as an Indicator of Psychosocial Distress

Tuberculosis is one of the so-called social diseases; therefore the epidemiological parameters of tuberculosis are often used as an indicator of social well-being in the country [1]. At first glance, the existence of a link between suicide and tuberculosis mortality seems doubtful since suicidal behavior is a psychosocial phenomenon, while tuberculosis is an infectious disease. However, there are at least several possible aspects of such link at the individual level. First, there are arguments in favor of the psychosomatic nature of tuberculosis [2]. Here, the common etiological factor of suicidal behavior and tuberculosis can be psychosocial distress accompanied by a decrease in the immunity, in general, the body's resistance, which increases the risk of tuberculosis [2].