Does Bengaluru continue to be the suicide capital of India?  

BENGALURU: This year, till July, Bengaluru has already recorded 1,921 suicide. This is more than 50 per cent of the number of suicides that were committed in 2017. In fact, it was the highest in the past four years. Out of the 1,921 deaths, 793 were men and 399 were women.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of suicides in the country during the decade (2004–2014) has recorded an increase of 15.8 per cent. Experts say adolescents and teenagers are one of the most vulnerable groups. Though the city provides so many opportunities, it comes with competition and stress, they say.

Bharathi Singh, founder and chief, SA-MUDRA Foundation and Yuva helpline, says in the year 2017-18, they received 720 calls and 15 of them declared or confessed to have suicidal thoughts.

“Many a times, we get calls from young people who fail or score less in their exams, and have thoughts of suicide because they think they have failed their parents,” she says.      

R Srinivasa Murthy, professor of Psychiatry (retd) who was a WHO consultant, says, Bengaluru's been holding the tag of 'suicide capital of India' since late twentieth century.

“I still have an old article from 70s that says Bengaluru is called the suicide capital. The city’s grown exponentially and the main reasons for suicide is social fragmentation. If you speak to older people living in Malleswaram or Basavangudi, they'd tell you about the community activities that were held earlier. Now, people do not even know who's living in the next door,” he says.

Depression, though a major concern, is not the only reason for suicide, he says. “It could also be due to economic issues, reaction to a life situation or identity crises. Study says one in ten depressed people commit suicide,” he adds.          

Dr Naveen Jayaram, consultant psychiatrist, Sakra World Hospital, says he gets mostly emergency cases, where the person is at the hospital after a drug overdose, or being found hanging by someone. "Every month, I see 10 to 12 cases of people who have attempted or survived suicide. Of them, 2 to 3 would be teenagers,” he says.

A study conducted by The Live Love Laugh Foundation says that the majority of the people surveyed continue to ostracise those needing support and instead label them as 'crazy/mental' or a 'retard'.

“This situation further prevents a person from coming out, seeking help and accepting their condition. In extreme cases, they resort to taking their lives,” says Anna Chandy, Chairperson – Board of Trustees, TLLLF. She says, “We need to raise awareness on the fact that suicide is not a solution and that there is help available at hand.”

Bharati adds, “As a society, we should sensitise and create awareness. People should know that it is okay to fail and family should be sensitive to children's feelings,” she adds.

Early detection, teaching how to maintain emotional health and recognising the vulnerability of youth are the key to avoid suicidal thoughts, says Srinivasa.