Street vending has a significant economic impact in the developing nations. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has put street vendors in a terrible financial situation, which has led to mental health problems like suicidal ideation and self-harm. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, we examine the causes and consequences of suicidal ideation among street vendors. We found that learned helplessness and suicide ideation are positively impacted by pandemic stress. Additionally, the results of the study show that religious coping helps as it moderates the relationship between pandemic stress and learned helplessness. Furthermore, we discovered that the relationship between pandemic stress and learned helplessness is not mediated by creative self-efficacy. The study findings have implications for theory and policy, which are thoroughly examined.
