Worrying rise in suicide rates in Kerala in past three years
Kerala has shown an alarming rise in suicide rates for the past three years despite State-wide campaigns and comprehensive awareness programmes. The number of cases jumping from 9,549 in 2021 to 10,162 in 2022 and 10,843 in 2023 points at the systemic inadequacies to reverse the trend though mental health has emerged as a priority post COVID-19. In an attempt to formulate a more systematic action plan, Kollam district administration has come up with MANASS (Mental Health Advocacy Network for Assistance, Strength and Support) a suicide prevention programme that will identify diverse trends in rural and urban areas across genders.
“The trigger for suicide is different for specific populations including the youth, middle income groups and senior citizen. It varies from financial issues and family problems to geriatric problems and causes unknown. Helplines and routine awareness programmes may not always help the people on the brink of suicide. We have formed a core team that includes experts from various fields including mental health to devise specific approaches. If the initiative can bring in positive changes, it can be extended to other districts also,” said Kollam District Collector N. Devidas.
MANASS will try innovative measures to redeem the shortcomings in existing suicide prevention programmes and come up with a comprehensive action plan. The district administration is planning to implement the programme in coordination with various departments including Health, Education, LSGD and Kudumbashree Mission. According to Dr. Indu P.S., HOD, Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kollam, who is part of the core team, while some strategies are universal, some are not. “To reduce suicide rates, we have to identify people who are at higher risk and depression is the commonest mental heath problem underlying suicide. A child with depression will not go psychiatrist straight and the paediatrician should be able to diagnose that,” she said.
Dr. Indu adds it’s possible to identify depression with the help of a few simple screening tools. “For example there is this four item questionnaire that can be used in educational institutions, workplaces and other groups. If a person reports any two symptoms – which are depressed mood, reduced interest, lack of energy and insomnia – for a period of two weeks, the possibility of depression is higher,” she said. She points out ‘psychological first aid’ as an important factor since suicide has biological, psychological and social reasons. “If your student, colleague or classmate has a problem, you should be prepared to hear them in a non-judgemental manner. It’s just a first aid and after identifying vulnerable persons we can connect them with nearest resources. We are developing a reliable strategy for this as part of MANASS,” she said.
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