INDIA’S SUICIDE RATES DECLINE BY OVER 30% (1990–2021) – LANCET STUDY

GS1 SOCIETY: 

A Lancet study, based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, reveals key insights:

• Global Context: Worldwide, one person dies by suicide every 43 seconds.
• India’s Trend: The suicide death rate dropped from 18.9 per lakh population in 1990 to 13 per lakh in 2021—a decline of over 30%.
  • Females: Fell from 16.8 (1990) to 10.3 (2021), a sharper drop than males.
  • Males: Decreased from 20.9 (1990) to 15.7 (2021).
• Vulnerable Group: In 2020, educated women in India had the highest suicide rates, with family problems cited as the leading cause.

Initiatives Behind the Decline:

• Decriminalization: The Mental Healthcare Act (2017) and the absence of Section 309 (erstwhile IPC) in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) removed suicide as a criminal offense.
• National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2022): Targets a 10% reduction in suicide mortality by 2030.
• Global Support: WHO’s Mental Health Action Plan (2013–2030) emphasizes mental health for all.
• Other Measures: National Mental Health Policy (2014), SDG Target 3.4 (mental health promotion), and toll-free helplines like Manodarpan and KIRAN.

Risk Factors:

• Substance abuse (alcohol/drugs) leading to impulsive behavior.
• Trauma or violence, including childhood trauma and sexual violence.
• Social and cultural pressures, such as expectations of academic success.