Deaths by suicide due to family related issues indicate the need for family members to stay together and talk to each other, say experts.
Uttarakhand reported total 516 cases of death by suicide in 2019 with the maximum–394 cases (over 76 %)—being related to family-related issues, revealed the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on suicides in 2019.
According to the data, the total percentage share of suicides due to family-related issues in Uttarakhand is the highest among all the states in the country.
After Uttarakhand, Odisha had reported 60.7% suicides due to family-related issues followed by Tripura’s 55.4%.
The total number of suicides reported in the state in 2019 showed an increase of 22.6% compared to 2018 when 421 cases of death by suicide were reported. Uttarakhand is among the top five states in the country with the highest percentage increase in total suicide cases.
Among the 10 Himalayan states, Uttarakhand was at the third spot in total number of suicides after Tripura, with 728 cases, and Himachal Pradesh, with 584 cases.
Out of the 394 deaths by suicide due to family-related issues, 260 victims were male while 134 were female.
Love affairs led to 35 cases of death by suicide including deaths of 22 males and 13 females. Similarly, 25 people took their own life due to the non-settlement of marriage and as many ended their lives due to mental illness. About 15 others died by suicide due to drug abuse or alcohol addiction.
The NCRB data, however, stated that there were no farmer suicides in the state in 2019 but 54 of the victims were students and 83 others were unemployed.
Expressing concern at the increase in suicides in the state, psychologists say that the family members need to spend time together and listen to each other to curb such incidents.
Dehradun based psychologist Sona Kaushal, who has also been running a helpline centre for people in distress and those thinking of taking a drastic step, said, “The families have a vital role in curbing such unfortunate incidents. All the members of a family need to spend more time together and listen to each other.”
“In today’s world when many are spending more time on mobile phones and social media, we need to be closer emotionally to each other rather than virtually. Then only incidents of suicides could be brought down,” said Kaushal.
Ashok Kumar, director general (law & order) Uttarakhand said that society has a larger role to play in curbing suicides.
“In suicides, society has a greater responsibility to stop such incidents than the police. If any person in distress seeks help from the police, he is provided with all possible guidance or help by the police, but a major role is to be played by the society as a whole if the numbers are to be brought down,” said Kumar.
