More young people die by suicide in India than in other countries, said experts on World Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday.World Suicide Prevention Day is observed every year on September 10 to raise awareness and fight stigma. The theme this year is “Changing the narrative on suicide”.
It has been estimated that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among the late adolescent age groups (15–19 years) in India. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), more than 40 per cent of all cases of suicides are among young adults below the age of 30.
“In India, the magnitude of the young people dying by suicide is unfortunately very high. The number of young people who died by suicide in India is almost double in comparison to the global average. Approximately 160 young persons die by suicide daily in India,” Prof Nand Kumar, from the Department of Psychiatry at AIIMS said.
“Some of the common reasons that precipitate the idea of suicide to death by suicide are; stressful family environments; unstable emotional health; substance use, failed relationship; poor bonding between the friends, and loneliness,” he added.
The NCRB data showed that 1.71 lakh people died by suicide in 2022.