World Suicide Prevention Day: Exam stress among many causes leading to suicidal thoughts among students, feel experts

Patna: In 2024, nearly 100 cases of suicides were reported in the state, of which 52 were young individuals aged 18 to 40, according to Bihar Police.With World Suicide Prevention Day being observed on Wednesday on the theme of “Changing the narrative on suicide”, mental health experts express concern about the ever increasing incidence of suicides among youth, especially students.According to World Health Organization’s latest data, a person dies by suicide every 40 seconds as eight lakh people end their lives annually in the world. In India, according to the latest report of National Crime Records Bureau, released in 2022, the suicide rate rose from 9.9 per lakh population in 2017 to 12.4 per lakh in 2022. A sizeable number of all the incidences is related to students.Bihar is also grappling with a worrying increase in suicides among youth, driven by several reasons, including personal clashes, financial losses, love affairs and academic pressures.According to studies conducted by Patna University psychology teachers, nearly two-third of students, preparing for competitive exams, experience high stress, with about 50% exhibiting depression symptoms, contributing to severe mental health issues like anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The rising suicides among aspirants underline the need for systemic changes to address the mental health crisis, suggested the study.

Magadh Mahila College’s psychology teacher Nidhi Singh points out that the overall suicide rate in India has increased by over 2% annually, whereas the student suicide rate has increased by 4%. Suicide is the most common cause of death in both the age groups of 15-29 and 15-39 years. About one third of them belong to the age group of 15-30 years, which is even more alarming, she said, adding one death by suicide affects the life of at least six people in the family.Singh pleaded for observing signs of some behavioural changes in youths to prevent their suicidal attempts.Head of psychiatry department at Nalanda Medical College Hospital, Dr Santosh Kumar, said boys and girls in adolescent age mostly fail to adjust in adverse circumstances and they think of ending their life in case of any emotional breakdown. “Parents and guardians must spend some quality time with their wards and consult a counsellor or doctor if any abnormal change in their personality appears.

Parents must not impose their own wishes, especially pertaining to careers, on their wards,” he said.Head of psychiatry department at Patna Medical College and Hospital, Dr N P Singh, said unwanted exposure to reels and social media content on mobile phone invariably cause mental imbalance in youths, which may sometimes lead to impulsive outbursts in them. “Most students do not have sufficient support systems and study in isolation. There is an urgent need for expanded and integrated mental health care tailored to students’ needs,” said Dr Singh.Earlier, suicide was considered a criminal act, but it has been decriminalised through Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.