Expert calls for national policy to curb suicides -G Janardhana Rao

-The New Indian Express

People are more impulsive due to family problems in Andhra Pradesh. Suicides are more common among women of up to 30 years of age and men above 30 years.

VISAKHAPATNAM: India has the largest number of suicide deaths in the world. It used to be China at the top of the list, but now India has replaced it, according to Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, member of the WHO International Network for Suicide Prevention and Research.

Speaking to TNIE on the sidelines of the 73rd annual national conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society held in Vizag on Thursday, Dr Lakshmi said there was a 10% increase in suicide deaths in 2020 when compared to 2019, which showed that the pandemic caused a lot of health and social issues among the people.

“In India, the highest number of deaths among the bigger States is reported in Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu even as Sikkim reported the highest number of suicides,’’ she said.The population most vulnerable to suicide is youngsters. The highest suicide rate is found among women in the age group of 15 to 29 years. 

Till the age of 30 years, suicides were the number one cause of death among young women more than even maternal mortality. Dr Lakshmi felt there was a need for an urgent action plan, in fact a national policy, to bring down the number of suicidal deaths. “Though the country is losing 1.5 lakh people every year due to suicides, there is no programme to address the issue. There is an urgent need for a suicide prevention plan,’’ she asserted. 

“A majority of suicides are reported from rural areas and many of them take extreme steps by consuming pesticides. Access to pesticides that are classified by the World Health Organisation as dangerous should be restricted. Many impulsive suicides by people in rural areas who consume pesticides can be prevented. Also, steps should be taken to check domestic violence and consumption of alcohol,’’ Dr. Lakshmi observed.

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