Blog by Nandita Verma

SUICIDE RATES IN INDIA

"Be kind, because you never know 
how something that you consider trivial can affect someone else and, who knows, might even drive them to take their own lives."

 SUICIDE CASES IN INDIA 

About 800,000 people die by suicide worldwide every year.164,033 Indians committed suicide in 2021 and the national suicide rate was 12 (calculated per hundred thousand or per lakh), which is the highest rate of deaths from suicides since 1967, which is the earliest recorded year for this data. According to The World Health Organization, in India, suicide is an emerging and serious public health issue.

Suicide rates in India have been rising over the past five decades. Suicides during 2021 increased by 7.2% in comparison to 2020 with India reporting highest number of suicides in the world. India's contribution to global suicide deaths increased from 25.3% in 1990 to 36.6% in 2016 among women, and from 18.7% to 24.3% among men. In 2016, suicide was the most common cause of death in both the age groups of 15–29 years and 15–39 years. Between 1987 and 2007, the suicide rate increased from 7.9 to 10.3 per 100,000, with higher suicide rates in southern and eastern states of India. Daily wage earners registered 42,004 deaths by suicide in 2021, the biggest group in the suicide data.

The male-to-female suicide ratio in 2021 was 72.5 : 27.4.

Estimates for number of suicides in India vary. For example, a study published in The Lancet projected 187,000 suicides in India in 2010, while official data by the Government of India claims 134,600 suicides in the same year. Similarly, for 2019, while NCRB reported India's suicide rate to be 10.4, according to WHO data, the estimated age-standardized suicide rate in India for the same year is 12.9. They have estimated it to be 11.1 for women and 14.7 for men.

 CAUSES OF SUICIDE IN INDIA 

• Domestic Violence

Almost 40% of the world's total number of female suicides take place in India. Domestic violence was found to be a major risk factor for suicide in a study performed in Bangalore. In another study carried out in 2017, domestic violence was found to be a risk factor for attempted suicides among married women. This is found to be reflected in the NCRB 2019 data, where the proportion of female victims were more in "marriage-related issues" (specifically in "dowry-related issues").

• Suicide motivated by Politics

Suicides motivated by ideology doubled between 2006 and 2008. Mental health experts say these deaths illustrate the increasing stress on young people in a nation where, elections notwithstanding, the masses often feel powerless. Sudhir was quoted to say, "The willingness to die for a cause, as exemplified by Gandhi's epic fasts during the struggle for independence, is seen as noble and worthy. Ancient warriors in Tamil Nadu, in south-eastern India, would commit suicide if their commander was killed."

• Mental Illness

A large proportion of suicides occur in relation to psychiatric illnesses such as depression, substance use and psychosis. The association between depression and death by suicide has been found to be higher among women. The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015–16 found that almost 80% of those suffering from mental illnesses did not receive treatment for more than a year. The Indian government has been criticized by the media for its mental health care system, which is linked to the high suicide rate.

• Farmers' Suicide in India

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported that in 2019, 10,281 people involved in the farming sector died by suicide. 5,957 were farmers/cultivators and 4,324 were agricultural laborers. Out of the 5,957 farmers/cultivators suicides, a total of 5,563 were male and 394 were female. Together, they accounted for 7.4% of total suicides in India in 2019.

• Students' Suicides in India

In 2021, according to NCRB data, 13,089 students died due to suicide, an increase from 12,526 student suicides in 2020. 43.49% of these were female, while 56.51% were male. Maharashtra reported highest number of student suicides, registering 1,834 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 1,308, and Tamil Nadu with 1,246 deaths.

At least one student commits suicide every hour in India. The year 2019 recorded the highest number of deaths by suicide (10,335) in the last 25 years. From 1995 to 2019, India lost more than 1.7 lakh students to suicide. Despite being one of the most advanced states in India, Maharashtra had the highest number of student suicides. In 2019, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh accounted for 44% of the total student suicides.

Every hour one student commits suicide in India, with about 28 such suicides reported every day, according to data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Maharashtra had the highest number of student suicides in 2018 with 1,448, followed by Tamil Nadu with 953 and Madhya Pradesh with 862. The NCRB data shows that 10,159 students committed suicide in 2018, an increase from 9,905 in 2017 and 9,478 in 2016.

A Lancet study stated that suicide death rates in India are among the highest in the world and a large proportion of adult suicide deaths occur between the ages 15 and 29.

• Cram Schools

Many suicides are attributed to the intense pressure and harsh regimen of students in cram schools (or coaching institutes). In the five years from 2011 to 2016, 57 students in Kota, dubbed the "coaching capital" of the country, died by suicide. Cram schools or coaching institutes offer coaching to high school students for various college entrance exams, such as the JEE or NEET.

• Ragging

Ragging has been identified as a potential trigger for suicides. Between 2012 and 2019, 54 ragging-related suicide incidents have occurred in the country.

 SUICIDE PREVENTION 

Strengthen economic supports

• Strengthen household financial security
• Stabilize housing

Create protective environments

• Reduce access to lethal means among persons at risk of suicide
• Create healthy organizational policies and culture
• Reduce substance use through community-based policies and practices

Improve access and delivery of suicide care

• Cover mental health conditions in health insurance policies
• Increase provider availability in underserved areas
• Provide rapid and remote access to help
• Create safer suicide care through systems change

Promote healthy connections

• Promote healthy peer norms
• Engage community members in shared activities

Teach coping and problem-solving skills

• Support social-emotional learning programs
• Teach parenting skills to improve family relationships
• Support resilience through education programs

Identify and support people at risk

• Train gatekeepers
• Respond to crises
• Plan for safety and follow-up after an attempt
• Provide therapeutic approaches

Lessen harms and prevent future risk

• Intervene after a suicide (postvention)
• Report and message about suicide safely