Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds globally and India is not far behind. Our country accounts for over a third of the world's annual female suicides and nearly a fourth of male suicides, a significant rise in global share from 1990. Even though our country has progressed rapidly it is getting a major share of the world’s suicides.
In most countries suicide mortality increases with age. In India, the opposite happens. The suicide rate among young adults aged 15-29 is more than three times the national average. This makes us a country with one of the highest suicide rates among youth in the world.
Indians have a tendency to link suicides with income or economic distress but more often the main culprits are stress, depression and negative social causes. Of late, Indian farmers have captured all the recent attention on suicides owing to various debts and crop failures. Public discourse often is politically motivated and facts are misrepresented to serve selfish agenda.
Men without access to proper emotional care in a repressive culture give up to it. Females on the other hand are motivated by depression and other marital causes. The stigma associated with suicide also does not let people discuss it openly at homes creating greater ignorance and divide to address it.
The decriminalisation of suicide in 2017 though is expected to have a major role in access to mental health treatment and possible reduction in under-reporting and stigma associated with it as per various authors and experts.
Suicides though are largely preventable if some of the following measures are taken immediately.
Reducing Access to the Means Of Suicide
Many regions need more strict alcoholic and pharmaceutical controls. This will also reduce the accidental death rates. People in rural areas should be sensitized more about poisonous fertilizers.
Proper Media Coverage
Media should be encouraged to cover the topic on a larger scale to create more awareness. The stigma of suicide should be tried to remove locally and nationally between individuals, groups and families as much as possible and people encouraged to come out and seek help rather than suffer silently.
Early Identification and Treatment
Proper surveys should be done by government agencies, NGOs and other mental health professionals in vulnerable regions and age groups to identify groups or individuals at risk. Many non-specialized health workers can be trained in the assessment and management of suicidal behaviour. Anti-depressants, psychiatric help, access to suicide lifelines, and just the availability of somebody to talk to sympathetically can curb suicides.
Extra Care
There should be provisions of follow-up care and community support for people who attempted suicide.
Note : This blog article directly references from various news article sources and the content should be deemed more as speculative rather than conclusive.
Sources : India Today, LiveMint and Times of India
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