Suicide : A Major mental health problem

By – Er. Prabhat Kishore
Suicide is one of the leading causes of untimely unnatural death, especially among teenagers and peoplebelow the age of thirty. It is the act of intentionally giving up one’s own lifefor various reasons. It is one of the leading causes of death.
Psychological conditions, such as depression, anxiety, failure to achieve targeted mission, loss of joy in life, reducedproblem-solving ability, impairment in emotional regulation etc. increase the risk of suicide. Factors such as unemployment, poverty, discrimination, homelessness, encourage the risk of suicide.
Doctors and psychologists consider the suicide attempts as a series of symptoms of depression. The person having high moral strengthsoon recover from depression and lead a normal life; but the discouraged people succumb to the challenging situation and eventually take their own lives. It is often associated with mental illness, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, autism, obesity-related disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.
People suffering from cancer, AIDS and other chronic painful diseases end their lives. Sometimes family problems also become the reasonfor suicide. Presently a large number of students are ending their lives either due to low grading or not being able to compete in competitive examinations.
According to ICMR report about 12% of Indian students suffer from psychological, emotional and behavioural conditions. 63% students are stressed due to academic pressure and 56% have symptoms of anxiety. 29% students lack concentration and 43% have mood swings. Constant use of smartphones has led to mental health issues developing in the students. Our education system does not impart moral and ethical values to students. These situations lead to suicide attempts and country loses young minds.
WHO says that India is the most depressed country in the world. One in four Indian children in 13-15 age-group suffer from depression. One in seven Indians between 15-24 age group feel depressed and lack interest in doing things. In India, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics show a consistent rise in suicide rate from 9.9 per lakh population in 2017 to 12.4 per lakh population in 2022, ranging from 0.6 per lakh population in Bihar to 43.1 per lakh population in Sikkim.
As per WHO report, more than 700000 people die by suicide every year worldwide. Approximately 1.5% of all deaths worldwide are by suicide. 77% of suicides occurin low and middle-income countries. Although suicide deaths are underreported in many countries due to social, cultural, and legal concerns.
Economic condition is also one of the causes of suicide. As per a report, in 64% of the suicide cases, the person’s income has been found below Ra 1 lakh, while in 32% of the cases the income has been onlyRs1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Women have higher rates of suicidal thinking, non-fatal suicidal behaviour, and suicide attempts. Suicide statistics show that although suicide attempt rate is about 3 times higher in women, but the suicide death rate is 2 to 3 times higher among men than women. Men chose violent suicide methods such as firearms, asphyxiation hanging etc, whereas women are more likely to self-poisoning, exsanguination etc.
Attempted suicide is a crime in many countries. Assisted suicide is when a person helps another person to die either by advice or any other means. In this case the person assisting is more responsible. In some countries and jurisdictions, helping a person to die is illegal. Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) is an end-to-life measure for a person suffering from a painful, terminal illness. In some countries, PAS is legal under certain circumstances, whereas in some counties it is illegal.
Suicide is a global phenomenon and occurs throughout the lifespan. Hence,effective, and evidence-based interventions are needed to prevent it.Individuals, families, and societies must play constructive role to save lives and create healthy and strong citizens. Most people who are contemplating suicide do not know who to speak to. Talking openly can give the concerned people other options or time to rethink their decision, thus preventing suicide.
Multiple psychosocial interventions have assessed, that can be applied to reduce the chance of suicide attempt by an individual. Cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), medication or combination of medications, team-based collaborative care approaches and other preventive techniques, which may vary on an individual-to-individual basis, may be helpful.
(Author is a Technocrat and Educationist)