In a first, Indian government announces strategy for suicide prevention: Here’s what you need to know

India accounts for nearly one lakh (0.1 million) deaths due to suicide every year, said a report by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Therefore, with the aim to reduce suicide mortality, the government, on Monday, announced the first of its kind, National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS) in India. It maps New Delhi’s time-bound action plan to reduce suicide mortality by 10 per cent (approximately 10,000) by 2030.

India’s record number of suicides

In the last three years, the suicide mortality rate has increased from 10.2 to 11.3 per 100,000 population, said a report by the health ministry. Additionally, the country with the highest youth population also accounts for the most number of suicides recorded among people aged 15-29 years. Furthermore, around 71 per cent of males and 29 per cent of females account for the total number of deaths by suicide in India.

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The report also said that the most common reason for committing suicide included family problems (34 per cent) and illnesses (18 per cent). It also noted the economic and professional status of an individual as a factor in the number of suicides as 63.3 per cent occurred among those who earn less than Rs. 1 lakh per annum ($0.1 million) in 2020.

This number nearly halved among those earning between Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 5 lakh ($0.5 million) per annum in the same year. The document highlights that across the world at least one in three women who commit suicide are in India while men account for one in four along the same parameter. According to the report, over 60 per cent of suicides happen among people aged 18-45 years.

Last year, India’s rate of deaths by suicide reached a record high with 1,64,033 who took their lives due to various reasons, said a report by the country’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This is a 7.2 per cent increase from the preceding year and implies that India saw over 400 deaths due to suicide every day in 2021.

What is the National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NSPS)?

The health ministry, citing the grim data, broadly seeks to establish effective surveillance mechanisms in the next three years to achieve a 10 per cent reduction in suicide mortality by 2030 through the NSPS.

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Some of these mechanisms include establishing psychiatric outpatient departments through the District Mental Health Programme in all districts across the country by 2027 to provide suicide prevention services. Additionally, in line with this programme, the government will also incorporate courses related to mental well-being in educational institutes across India within the next eight years.

In a statement, India’s Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that preventing suicides is now a public health priority and impacts all sections of society. Therefore, it requires “concerted and collaborative efforts” from individuals as well as the community at large.

One of the priorities of this NSPS also includes reducing easy access to means of suicide, in line with which the government plans to phase out hazardous pesticides. The report also noted that the most common method of committing suicide is hanging and poisoning, followed by drowning and immolation. The government also plans to create guidelines for the media on responsible reporting about suicides.

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“The most important is early identification of psychiatric illness and early treatment by 80-90%. Because the main problem with suicide is hidden psychiatric morbidity,” said Dr Rajesh Sagar, head of the psychiatric department at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and one of the authors of the report.

Furthermore, citing the report he said that in nearly every case of one suicide there have been at least 10-20 previous attempts to do so and it could be higher. He added, “Therefore, we have suggested several protective factors against suicide such as early primary treatment, psychological support, access to quality treatment, restrict access to means of suicides.”

(With inputs from agencies)

If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata), Parivarthan (Bangalore) +91 76766 02602

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