Comprehensive Approach For Suicide Prevention in India
World Suicide Prevention Day is celebrated annually on September 10 to raise awareness of the need to reduce stigma and encourage open dialogue in order to prevent suicides. "Changing the narrative on suicide" is the theme for this year. States in India with greater unemployment rates also tend to have higher male suicide rates.
Key Highlights:
Social determinants like poverty and domestic abuse
Young adults under 30, account for over 40% of suicides in India
A whole-government approach is needed, that will integrate mental health services.
Unemployment is identified as a critical risk factor with higher suicide rates.
According to an expert in a recent study that was published in The Lancet journal on Tuesday, the International Suicide Prevention Day, it is imperative to focus on concerns other than mental health in order to minimize the number of suicide cases in India, where over 170,000 lives are lost to suicide each year. Suicide is a major public health concern, with over 700,000 suicide fatalities reported globally each year. India has one of the highest rates of suicides that result in death.
In line with this year's subject, a recent six-paper series published in The Lancet Public Health contends that the narrative about suicide needs to shift from emphasizing its role as a mental health issue to one that also takes social risk factors into account.
Overview of Suicide Prevention in India
"Suicide is a complicated public health issue, but regrettably, it has historically been stigmatized as a criminal act. Up until now, the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) professor of public health Dr. Rakhi Dandona, the series author, has focused 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. The Series emphasizes the need of clinical treatment services for those experiencing a suicidal crisis; but, in order to keep people from reaching crisis points, national suicide prevention plans also need to include upstream interventions that address social variables.
This is especially pertinent to India, which unveiled its National Suicide Prevention Strategy in 2022. Experts in the field of suicide prevention have pointed out that in addition to mental health, the nation needs to broaden its understanding of suicide to include social risk factors like poverty, debt, domestic abuse, addictions, and social isolation. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports that 1.71 lakh persons committed suicide in 2022. The suicide rate in India has risen to 12.4 per 1,00,000 people, the highest number ever noted. It is alarming to see that young adults under 30 account for over 40% of suicide cases.
Every eight minutes, a young Indian commits suicide, taking a toll on their family, community, economy, and future. The NCRB reports, which are based on police records and are released annually, include data that illustrates the causes of suicide. Dandong observed they "include poverty, debt, financial hardships, domestic issues, domestic violence, family relationship issues, bullying, peer pressure". Among Indian women, unemployment seems to be one of the biggest risk factors for suicide.
Implementing a Holistic Approach to Address Risk Factors
In India, the National Mental Health Programmed currently oversees the suicide prevention initiative. According to the expert, this can still be the case for mental health therapies, suicide prevention, and suicidal individuals. "But we need a larger whole government public health approach to ensure that people do not reach the suicidal stage," Dandong added. It is imperative that the nation prioritize addressing both mental health and the underlying socio-economic stressors. We can establish a more supportive atmosphere that prioritizes early intervention, lowers stigma, and ultimately saves lives by adopting a public health approach and encouraging collaboration among multiple sectors, the expert stated.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not a substitute for any medicine or treatment. Always consult your doctor for more information.
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