37% of Women Dying by Suicide Are Indian, Mostly Young: Lancet

Almost 37 percent of women who die by suicide globally were Indian and 24 percent among men in 2016, according to a study published in The Lancet.

Suicide was the leading cause of death in the 15-39 age group in 2016, compared to its third rank globally. 63 percent of all suicide deaths reported in India are in this age group.

According to the study, in 2016, India accounted for 17.8 percent of the global population but recorded 36.6 percent the suicides among women across the world.

There was an increase of 40 percent in the number of suicide deaths between 1990 and 2016, with an estimated 2,30,314 deaths in 2016.

Speaking to FIT, Professor Rakhi Dandona from Public Health Foundation of India, lead author of the study, said:

Disproportionately high suicide deaths in India are a public health crisis. And we need to address the root cause, mental health.

However, the suicide death rate (SDR) has reduced by 15 percent from 1990 to 2016, she adds. The suicide death rate for women in India is 15 per one lakh women, double that of the global suicide rate for women in 2016, which is seven per one lakh women. The SDR for men has remained the same.

Married women account for the high proportion of suicide deaths in India, the study stated.

Marriage is known to be less protective against suicide for women because of arranged and early marriage, young motherhood, low social status, domestic violence, and economic dependence.

The study does not delve into the cause behind these alarming numbers. But speaking about it, Professor Dandona said that low social status, financial problems, family issues and poor health are the main reasons.

There are stark state-wise variations in suicides in the country. The southern states are more affected. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Tripura had high suicide death rates as compared to other states.

The study found that the suicide death rate is increasing in the elderly as well, especially among those above the age of 80 years.

For the elderly, social isolation, depression, functional disability, and the feeling of being a burden on their family have been cited as reasons for suicides globally, however, not much is known about reasons for suicides in the elderly in India, Professor Dandona said.

Gender and age-based suicide prevention strategies as well as a plan to address mental health issues nationally are needed to stop this epidemic from growing.

(If you or someone you know needs help, please refer to this state-wise repository of trusted mental health professionals across India, curated by Tata Institute of Social Sciences.)