The reported suicide of Bollywood actress Jiah Khan has once again put the spotlight on the fact that an increased number of youngsters are buckling under pressure and taking their lives.
In 2004, Bangalorean model-VJ Nafisa Josephwas found dead in her apartment in Mumbai, allegedly after a relationship went sour. Every day, news articles appear of youngsters who have taken their lives due to academics, relationships or professional failure. But why aren't they reaching out for help?
Relationships without love
According to a counsellor at the city-based SAHAI suicide helpline, most people who reach out for help are youngsters claiming to be depressed after failed relationships. "There is peer pressure among youngsters to have a romantic interest, so a lot of them get into relationships without love or mutual liking. Over time, one of the parties, more often the girl, may become serious about it, especially if they are sexually intimate. If the guy does not reciprocate the girl's feelings, she gets depressed," he says. A counsellor from the Medico-Pastoral Association adds that youngsters often fail to realize that pre-marital relationships are not contractually bound, so they have to be prepared for them being broken.
Girls carry the stigma?
Studies conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) state that more women between 16 and 25 committed or attempted suicide than men. "That is because Indian society still doesn't accept premarital relationships, so girls who are known to have been intimate with men are looked down upon," says the SAHAI counsellor. However, consultant psychiatrist Vikram Prabhu disagrees, and says, "Stress and poor social support are the biggest culprits and, if you have a history of impulsiveness, even more."
Celebs are more vulnerable
Experts are unanimous that the nature of their work, which puts their personal and professional lives in the public domain, makes celebrities vulnerable. "Creativity and mood disorders have a link, so celebs may be at greater risk. However, if they are in the limelight, they are less likely to seek help out of the fear of being recognized or even ostracized," says Vikram.
Help is at hand
While most experts recommend greater parental interaction with their offspring, the SAHAI counselor points out that often the parents of teenagers are themselves only middle-aged and tackling their own professional and personal pressures, often leaving them unaware about their children's well-being and friends circle. Vikram adds that while reaching out to relatives or friends for help is ideal, they could pass on inadequate advice. "The World Health Organizationrecognizes depression as the leading cause for disability and 15% of depressed people end up taking their lives. It is imperative that you realize that depression is not a sign of weakness and don't attach a stigma to seeking help. Problems have solutions, ending your life is not it," he says.
Reasons behind suicide
According to a NIMHANS study, the increasing number of suicides in Bangalore can be
attributed to:
- Severe stress
- Competition at the workplace
- Lack of economic security
Cities with highest suicide rates
1. Chennai: 2,438
2. Bangalore: 1,717
3. Delhi: 1,385
4. Mumbai: 1,162
— National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
Suicides high among youth: NIMHANS study
- Suicides are primarily a problem of the young, even though it occurs in all ages and in both sexes.
- Nearly three-fourths of suicides were in the age groups of 16-40 years, with half being in the 21-35 bracket.
- More men committed or attempted suicide (2:1), with the exception being in the 16-25 age group, in which women outnumbered men.
