Heartbreak tops reasons for youngsters contemplating suicide: Government helpline
“Such instances force us to question the inappropriate age at which marriage decisions are being made. In India, the suicide rate is the highest among youngsters and the elderly. While the former assume their bereaved parents will slowly get over their loss, the elderly take the plunge thinking their responsibilities are over and they wouldn’t be missed after death,” explained Dr Jagadish.
In the last three years, unrequited love and failed relationships have emerged as the main reasons for youngsters – across age groups 14-18 and 19-25 -contemplating suicide, according to statistics from the government-run helpline Arogyavani (104).
Between June 2013 and August 2016, the helpline received 351 distress calls on suicide from across the state.”The callers were on the brink of taking the fatal step. Our counsellors lent them a patient ear and were successful in preventing all 351 from commiting suicide. We keep track of the callers for the next 45 days and inform the jurisdictional women, health and family welfare department officials to monitor them after that,” said Dr Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, health and family welfare.
Mihir N (name changed), 14, was madly in love with his classmate. When the girl didn’t take him seriously, he slipped into depression. Unable to bear the agony, he decided to jump off the school building, but sought help in the nick of time. The counsellor walked a few steps up the building with Mihir before convincing him he wasn’t doing the right thing.
“It is of vital importance to teach a child the difference between friendship and relationship and equip him/her with life skills. Every government hospital has a psychiatrist and even in primary health centres, both psychologists and psychiatrists are available on certain days. Timely intervention can save so many lives,” added Dr Jagadish.
Counsellors confirm failed relationships are a major trigger. “Having counselled both children and young adults, I think more than 50% of the cases are related to relationship problems. It all boils down to self-esteem. Teenagers are impulsive; sometimes they get possessive and sometimes they just break up for no reason, leaving the partner shattered. This is when the latter thinks it’s his/her fault. The number of males attempting suicide is higher and this is partly to be blamed on their upbringing. Boys are told to be strong; they keep their emotions bottled up because they aren’t allowed to express them,” said consultant counsellor Subhadra Gupta.
“The coping mechanism in children is quite weak, and that is what parents, teachers and society should work on,” she explained.
