Kathmandu, Dec 26: Suicide has come a big problem for the world. According to data with the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 703,000 people worldwide commit suicide every year. It means one person globally commits suicide every 40 seconds.
The situation is even worst in poor and developing countries. According to the report published in 2019 by the WHO, 77 percent of suicide cases occur in poor and developing countries.
What is the situation of suicide in Nepal?
Looking at the statistics, the situation of suicide in Nepal is dire. According to the statistics with the WHO, around 7,000 suicides occur in Nepal every year. The total 27,247 people committed suicide in Nepal in 4 years from the fiscal year, 2019/20 to 2022/23.
In the FY, 2019/20, the country witnessed 6,277 suicide cases, 7,139 in 2020/21, 6,838 in 2021/22 and 6,993 in 2022/23. Of those who committed suicide during the period, 15,147 were adult male, and 9,163 adult women. Similarly, 1,864 were girls and 1,066 boys. Dominated deaths were from hanging.
In the FY, 2022/23, 5,956 (85.17 percent) people committed suicide by hanging. Similarly, 932 people (13.33 percent) died by consuming poison, and 49 (0.70 percent) took their lives by falling off. Also, 35 people (0.50 percent) drowned, 15 (0.21 percent) killed themselves with weapons, and six (0.09) immolated themselves.
Causes of suicide and preventive measures
Many factors are blamed for suicide, said experts. According to the Theory of Suicide by French sociologist David Emile Durkheim, social causes are primarily blamed for suicide. Suicide is not a personal act. it is caused by a power beyond the individual or the super individual. In conflict with the theories by many doctors and psychologists that the majority of those who commit suicide are in a morbid state, Durkheim emphasises that the power to drive suicide is social rather than psychological. He concludes that suicide results from social turmoil or lack of social integration or social solidarity.
However, psychiatrist Dr Holly Hendin is not ready to fully buy Durkheim’s idea about suicide. She has made it clear that suicide is not only caused by social reasons but also by psychological and physical reasons.
Analysing the scenario and statistics so far, depression is considered the main cause of suicide. Generally, the causes of depression are excessive stress, more fluctuations in mood than necessary, considering oneself to be in a very miserable condition, and excessive consumption of alcohol and the use of other drugs.
Bio-psycho social counselor Basu Acharya points out relations between suicide and mental health. Mental problem is the primary cause of suicide, he said. He however partly support Durkheim’s idea about suicide saying that societal causes may be a secondary factor in the case.
The affected person should come forward when it comes to mental disorders. There are three different types of people with mental illness, he said. One type is that they do not admit that they are suffering from mental problems. Another type is that they are not aware about mental problems at all. The last type is that they are so consumed by mental problems that they cannot seek support and treatment.
Awareness is a must when it comes to controlling mental illness, he said. Along with a set of four plans, bio-psycho social approach is the best way to deal with mental problems, he said.
