DNA Edit: Harsh Lessons - Young Indians more vulnerable than ever

The Lancet Public Health study titled ‘Gender differentials and state variations in suicide deaths in India: The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016’ draws attention to the mental health epidemic that has swept through India’s youth population, with women suffering more than men.

Long before the Lancet study, the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) statistics had offered a generous glimpse into the problem. According to NCRB’s 2015 data, every hour one student commits suicide in India, which means that in that year alone, 8,934 young people ended their life.

However, what is interesting to note in the Lancet study is that when one looks into the state-specific data of suicide, there are no clear patterns emerging. While Tamil Nadu stood out for the highest suicide rate among women at 26.9 for every 100,000 women, Karnataka proved to be notorious for men’s suicides, clocking 36.1 deaths for every 100,000 men.

Both these states fare much better in terms of the human development index compared to the economically impoverished states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. Going by NCRB’s observations, there are various causes of suicides like professional/career problems, discrimination, sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial loss, chronic pain and so on, and some of these factors cut across gender lines.

For women, early marriage seems to be a major factor along with young motherhood, low social status, domestic violence, and economic dependence. With gender dynamics increasingly becoming fluid and the aspirations of the youth propelling them to chase material comfort, the lack of success combined with the inability to handle pressure seem to be the enduring factors behind the spike in suicide rate.

India’s mental health burden can be expected to increase exponentially in the days to come as there are no quick-fix remedies to combat this epidemic.