Suicide & Its Prevention

Abstract

Suicide is the intentional infliction of death on oneself. It is the leading cause of death on the planet. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15 to 19-year-olds. 79 percent of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Ingestion of pesticides, hanging, and the use of firearms are among the most common methods of suicide in the world. India's suicide rate increased to 230,314 in 2016. Suicide was the leading cause of mortality in both the 15–29 and 15–39 year age groups. Over 800,000 people die by suicide every year around the world, with 135,000 (17%) of them being Indian citizens, who make up 17.5 percent of the global population. Every year, significantly more people try to commit suicide than actually do so. A past suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population. In 2012, Tamil Nadu had the highest suicide rate (12.5%), followed by Maharashtra (11.9%) and West Bengal (10.1%). (11.0 percent). In 2012, Tamil Nadu and Kerala had the highest suicide rates per 100,000 people among states with large populations. Male suicides outnumber female suicides roughly 2:1 in India. Suicides are estimated to number in the millions in India. For example, a study published in The Lancet predicted 187,000 suicides in India in 2010, despite the Indian government's official statistics claiming 134,600 suicides in the same year. According to WHO data, India's age-standardized suicide rate for women is 16.4 per 100,000 (6th highest in the world) and for males is 25.8 per 100,000 (22nd).