Suicide: A Terrible Social Tragedy
On the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day the article: 'Suicide: Change the narrative' published in your esteemed daily on 10 September, the writer Dr Sailen Das rightly said that suicide is a public health concern that is intricately linked to mental health disorders that affect people on individual, family and community level. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young adults worldwide. Every year more than 1,00,000 people commit suicide in our country. India ranks 43rd in descending order of rates of suicide. The emerging moment of 'Cyber suicide' in the internet era is a further cause for concern because of new methods of suicide that help increase overall suicide rates.
Suicidal tendencies in children and teenagers may be due to certain life circumstances that he or she may not want to talk about. What is worrying aspect is that some people make their intentions clear while others keep suicidal thoughts and feelings Secret. The topic of mental health or suicide is often shrouded in taboo and stigma which hinder open communication and relationship. That makes opening up about one's struggle so difficult. The issue of suicide among students in educational institutions in India more particularly in our state is a matter of grave concern. Therefore suicide awareness is the need of the hour to prevent the loss of precious lives and mitigate the devastating consequences of suicide. Only awareness can bring about social change and help in breaking the stigma. There is a need for concerted efforts from educational institutions, parents and society as a whole to protect the lives of the students. What is needed is to provide a state and national hotline number to be attended to by a psychologist or a counsellor whom the suicide feelers might feel most comfortable talking to. Let us join hands and talk about suicide freely and make a safe space where people particularly young people can freely talk about their mental health and seek professional help. Psychotherapy treatment can prove to be very helpful in facilitating a person to become more resilient when he or she acts during a moment of crisis. The mantra 'Be aware', and 'Make others aware' can reduce the risk of suicide and provide hope to those who need it most.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.