India reported an average of 381 deaths by suicide daily in 2019, totalling 1, 39,123 fatalities over the year, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
Changes in life are inevitable; adjusting to them may not be the same for everyone. The various causes or motivations according to NCRB behind this alarmingly high number of suicides include professional and career problems, sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, depression, failure in examinations and love, addiction to alcohol, financial loss etc.
According to the 2018 NCRB data, “Majority of suicides were reported in Maharashtra (18,916), followed by 13,493 in Tamil Nadu, 12,665 in West Bengal, 12,457 in Madhya Pradesh and 11,288 in Karnataka, accounting for 13.6 per cent, 9.7 per cent, 9.1 per cent, 9 per cent and 8.1 per cent of total such deaths, respectively. Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, reported comparatively lower percentage share of suicidal deaths, accounting for only 3.9 per cent of the total suicides in the country, it added. Maximum cases of mass/family suicide were reported from Tamil Nadu (16) followed by Andhra Pradesh (14), Kerala (11), Punjab (9) and Rajasthan (7).”
MH may have highest total no. of suicides (not surprising, given its popln), Suicide rate is better comparison. Ignoring UTs & small states, #KL #Chattisgarh & #Telangana in top 3. Same keep swapping places last 3 yrs. #CG real outlier. Low GDP – high rate ! #SuicidePrevention pic.twitter.com/SFb4ZTQhsr
— Soumitra 🌻 সৌমিত্র சௌமித்ரா سومترہ (@netshrink) September 1, 2020
The NCRB data further revealed that family problems (other than marriage-related issues) were behind 32.4 per cent of suicides, marriage-related problems (5.5 per cent) and illness (17.1 per cent) together accounted for 55 per cent of the total suicides.
Women and minorities need special focus. Not only women issues are sidelined in a male-dominated society, it is not always easy and accessible for a woman or minority to raise their voice, forget pain and opinion, to larger masses. However, the statistics also point out more numbers of male suicides as compared to women. For every 100 suicide deaths, 70.2 were male and 29.8 females, the NCRB, which collects data from police recorded cases. Nearly 68.4 per cent of the male victims were married, whereas the ratio was 62.5 per cent for female victims. Data also showed that a total of 17 transgenders have committed suicide.
In terms of education, 12.6 per cent victims of suicide were illiterate, 16.3 per cent up to primary level, 19.6 per cent up to middle level and 23.3 per cent up to Class X level. Only 3.7 per cent of total suicide victims were graduates and above, the NCRB data showed.
According to the Suicide Prevention India Foundation, “one suicide out of every six suicides was by a ‘housewife’. Nearly 70.5% of the male victims were married while 67.3% of female victims were married. India has one of the world’s highest rate of suicides among people aged between 15 years and 29 years and it is the leading cause for death in that age group.”
According to NCRB data, the main reason for suicide are family problems (other than marriage-related issues) accounting for 34.0%, and illness totalling to 17.2%, which together accounted for 51.1% of total suicides in the country, during the year 2015.
It is definitely a disturbing trend. The prevention of suicide is every individual’s responsibility. A nationwide suicide prevention strategy is the first in the steps needed to reduce the number of suicides. The WHO states that there are only 38 countries that have a suicide prevention policy in place, and India is not one of them.
Lack of adequate suicide data and research also restricts a country’s ability to fight suicide. Only 60 countries have good-quality vital registration data on suicide
Community-based suicide prevention methods like the “Gatekeeper” is something that anyone can take either online or offline and can be completed in a few hours. Having a single toll-free number, available 24/7/365 in multiple languages to access all the different suicide crisis helplines is another action that the government of India needs to take.
एक लोकतंत्र को ऐसे नागरिकों की आवश्यकता है, जो जागरूक होने के साथ-साथ अपने अधिकार भी जानते हों। ऐसी बातचीत को बढ़ावा देने के लिए, हम एक नई सीरीज़ #अपनेअधिकारजानिए – शुरू कर रहे हैं। यह मानसिक स्वास्थ्य देख-रेख अधिनियम में लिखी बातों को आपके समक्ष एक सरल रूप में लाने की कोशिश है। pic.twitter.com/QWDTE2mBQq
— Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy, ILS, Pune (@CMHLPIndia) August 17, 2020
Educating the media on how to report on suicide needs to be made an important imperative.
