Robin Williams suicide highlights growing suicide tendency

The recent alleged suicide of Hollywood actor Robin Williams has highlighted the growing suicide rates among older men which was beginning to get serious attention globally, former West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan said today.

"The recent news of suicide of Robin Williams has attracted global attention. This was no doubt a tragedy of monumental proportions. Robin Williams' suicide was attributed to a toxic mix of addiction and depression. It has served to highlight the growing suicide rates among older men", Narayanan, also former National Security Adviser, said here.

He was speaking at a function organised by city-based NGO "SNEHA" on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, being observed today.

Managing Trustee of SNEHA, Lakshmi Vijayakumar said 76 per cent of suicides happen in "low and middle income countries".

Majority of causes for suicides include family problems and health issues, she said.

According to World Health Survey, about 2.58 lakh people committed suicide last year in India. The 15 to 29 age group was the most vulnerable, she said.

She said SNEHA would undertake a Suicide Intervention Project in Sri Lankan Refugee camps in Colombo soon as an increasing trend of committing suicides was noticed there.