Suicide is a major public health challenge, with more than 700,000 deaths each year worldwide. India has one of the highest numbers of deaths by suicide.
World Suicide Prevention Day is celebrated each year on September 10 to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicides. This year’s theme is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.”
In line with the theme, a new series of six articles published in The Lancet Public Health argues that a change in the narrative is necessary to move from presenting suicide as a purely mental health problem to recognizing the impact of social risk factors .
“Unfortunately, until now, suicide has been stigmatized as a crime, but in reality it is a complex public health problem. “To date, the focus has been on mental health for suicide prevention, which is important, but we now have enough data to show that we need to broaden our focus beyond mental health for suicide prevention,” he said. series author Dr Rakhi Dandona, Professor of Public Health at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) told IANS.
The series highlights how clinical treatment services are critical for people in suicidal crisis, but preliminary measures that address social factors must also be included in national suicide prevention strategies to prevent people from reaching crisis points.
This is particularly relevant for India, which published the National Suicide Prevention Strategy in 2022, in which suicide prevention experts highlighted the need for the country to expand the way suicide is considered to also include risk factors. social risk, debt, domestic violence, addictions, and social isolation.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 1.71 lakh people died by suicide in 2022. The suicide rate has increased to 12.4 per 100,000.
Worryingly, more than 40 percent of all suicide cases occur among young adults under the age of 30. A young Indian commits suicide every eight minutes, which represents a loss for the family, society, the economy and the future of the population. country.
Data from NCRB reports based on police records released every year highlight the reasons why people take their lives.
Dandona noted that these “include poverty, debt, financial difficulties, domestic problems, domestic violence, family relationship problems, bullying and peer pressure.”
The Lancet series showed that India sees higher suicide rates among men in states with higher levels of unemployment.
Unemployment also appears to be one of the most important risk factors for suicide among Indian women.
The suicide rate among unemployed women in India was found to be 94.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.6 per 100,000 people for those employed professionally or salaried, 11.6 per 100,000 people for those working for own account and 4.3 per 100,000 for students.
"All of this means that we really need to start thinking about suicide with a broader public health approach to address these suicide risk factors within your social and economic policies to make a difference in this large number of suicide deaths that occur in India." the public health expert told IANS.
Currently, the suicide prevention program in India is part of the National Mental Health Programme. The expert pointed out that it can continue to be done for mental health interventions, for suicide prevention, for those who have suicidal tendencies. "But we really need a broader public health approach from the government to ensure that people don't reach the suicidal stage," Dandona said.
“Tackling underlying socioeconomic pressures, as well as mental health, is a key national priority. By taking a public health approach and fostering collaboration across multiple sectors, we can create a more supportive environment that prioritizes early intervention, reduces stigma and ultimately saves lives,” said the expert.
World Suicide Prevention Day is celebrated each year on September 10 to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicides. This year’s theme is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.”
In line with the theme, a new series of six articles published in The Lancet Public Health argues that a change in the narrative is necessary to move from presenting suicide as a purely mental health problem to recognizing the impact of social risk factors .
“Unfortunately, until now, suicide has been stigmatized as a crime, but in reality it is a complex public health problem. “To date, the focus has been on mental health for suicide prevention, which is important, but we now have enough data to show that we need to broaden our focus beyond mental health for suicide prevention,” he said. series author Dr Rakhi Dandona, Professor of Public Health at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) told IANS.
The series highlights how clinical treatment services are critical for people in suicidal crisis, but preliminary measures that address social factors must also be included in national suicide prevention strategies to prevent people from reaching crisis points.
This is particularly relevant for India, which published the National Suicide Prevention Strategy in 2022, in which suicide prevention experts highlighted the need for the country to expand the way suicide is considered to also include risk factors. social risk, debt, domestic violence, addictions, and social isolation.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 1.71 lakh people died by suicide in 2022. The suicide rate has increased to 12.4 per 100,000.
Worryingly, more than 40 percent of all suicide cases occur among young adults under the age of 30. A young Indian commits suicide every eight minutes, which represents a loss for the family, society, the economy and the future of the population. country.
Data from NCRB reports based on police records released every year highlight the reasons why people take their lives.
Dandona noted that these “include poverty, debt, financial difficulties, domestic problems, domestic violence, family relationship problems, bullying and peer pressure.”
The Lancet series showed that India sees higher suicide rates among men in states with higher levels of unemployment.
Unemployment also appears to be one of the most important risk factors for suicide among Indian women.
The suicide rate among unemployed women in India was found to be 94.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.6 per 100,000 people for those employed professionally or salaried, 11.6 per 100,000 people for those working for own account and 4.3 per 100,000 for students.
"All of this means that we really need to start thinking about suicide with a broader public health approach to address these suicide risk factors within your social and economic policies to make a difference in this large number of suicide deaths that occur in India." the public health expert told IANS.
Currently, the suicide prevention program in India is part of the National Mental Health Programme. The expert pointed out that it can continue to be done for mental health interventions, for suicide prevention, for those who have suicidal tendencies. "But we really need a broader public health approach from the government to ensure that people don't reach the suicidal stage," Dandona said.
“Tackling underlying socioeconomic pressures, as well as mental health, is a key national priority. By taking a public health approach and fostering collaboration across multiple sectors, we can create a more supportive environment that prioritizes early intervention, reduces stigma and ultimately saves lives,” said the expert.
