Suicide: Taking One’s Life Impacts Many Lives

Suicide is one of the leading causes of untimely unnatural death, especially among teenagers and people below the age of thirty. It is the act of intentionally giving up one’s own life for 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, reduced problem-solving ability, impairment in emotional regulation etc. increase the risk of suicide. So too factors such as unemployment, poverty, discrimination and homelessness.

Doctors and psychologists consider the suicide attempts as a series of symptoms of depression. A person with high moral strength recovers from depression early and leads a normal life. It is often associated with mental illness, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, autism, obesity-related disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.

People suffering chronic painful diseases are said to be more prone to take their own lives. Sometimes family problems can also be a factor, while some students take the extreme step either due to low grading or the inability to cope up with competition.

According to ICMR report, about 12% of Indian students suffer from psychological, emotional and behavioural conditions, while 63% are stressed due to academic pressure; 56% have symptoms of anxiety; 29% lack concentration; and 43% have mood swings. Constant use of smartphones also reported causes mental health issues in students.

According to WHO, India is the most depressed country in the world with one in four Indian children in 13-15 age-group suffering from depression and one in seven Indians in 15-24 age group feel depressed and lack interest in doing things. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data also shows 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.  

WHO report also said that more than 7,00,000 people die by suicide every year worldwide. Approximately 1.5% of all deaths globally are by suicide and 77% of the cases occur in low and middle-income countries.

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 contemplate suicide do not know who to speak to. Open discussions and interactions can encourage individuals with suicidal thoughts to reconsider and move away from those thoughts. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), medication or combination of medications, team-based collaborative care approaches and other preventive techniques can help prevent suicide.

Er. Prabhat Kishore

(The writer is a technocrat and educationist)