Suicide Rate in India: Suicide is a global public health problem, and India has been grappling with the alarming rise in the rate of suicide. The National Crime Record Bureau report for 2022 documented 171,000 suicides, or the highest ever at 12.4 suicides per 100,000 population, and really warrants immediate attention and understanding, with preventive measures.
Trends and Risk Factors
Depression and Mental Health: Depression continues to rank as one of the prime causes of suicides in India. Work, financial, relationship, and health-related stressors create extreme stress, which in turn leads to anxiety, depression, and finally, suicidal tendencies. The share of mental health problems as reported risk factors is about 54.28%.
Negative or Traumatic Family Issues: Family problems such as conflict, disturbed interpersonal relationships, and traumatic experiences play a vital role. This constitutes about 34.28 percent of the suicides among Indian adolescents¹.
Academic Stress: It’s the pressure to make the young minds shine in academics that sick, stressed minds make them suicidal. The percentages of academic stress account for 22.85%.
Sociological and Lifestyle Factors: Loneliness, isolation, social pressures are other reasons that drive a person to end his life. The contribution to this factor by sociological and lifestyle factors was 20%.
Violence and Economic Distress: Violence at both domestic and external levels and economic distress are other risk factors. The contribution towards economic stress was 8.75%.
Compare the Suicide Rate of India With Other Countries
Countries With the Highest Suicide Rates in the World:
Lesotho: As many as 72.4 suicides per 100,000 people bring Lesotho to the top in this terrible list globally -.
Guyana, Eswatini, and South Korea also have high suicide rates⁶.
Countries With the Lowest Suicide Rates in the World:
Antigua and Barbuda: This country comes at the very bottom of this list with a suicide rate of merely 0.4 per 100,000 persons.
In relation, countries such as Greece and Kuwait have a low rate of suicide due to the presence of a social support system in these countries and easily accessible facilities for mental health.
Prevention Strategies
Raise Awareness: Have open conversations about mental health, reduce stigma, and help them seek professional solutions.
Early Intervention: Identify warning signs and provide timely support.
Crisis Helplines: Toll-free telephone services that a person in crisis can call.
Community Support: Enhance social network and community bonding.
Mental Health Services: Ensure easy access to mental health treatment and counseling.
Education and Training: Educate individuals, families and schools on the prevention of suicide.
Before India stands the daunting task of reducing its growing suicide rates. Tackling this through mental health awareness and focussed intervention is squarely within our capacity to obviate avoidable loss of life. The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. Remember, it’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to seek help. If you or someone you know needs any help, please seek a mental health professional, or call the helpline number 9152987821 for help.
