KOCHI: All’s not well in Kerala. As per the report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the state saw a worrying rise in the number of suicides since 2020. Sending alarm bells ringing, Kerala reported more than 10,000 suicides in 2022.
As per the 2022 report of the NCRB, Kerala was ranked fourth in the country in suicide rate, after Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, with an incidence rate of 28.5 per lakh of the population.
As per the NCRB data, the number of people ending their lives in Kerala increased from 8,500 in 2020 to 9,549 in 2021. This rose to 10,162 in 2022. Among cities in the state, Thrissur topped the list with 489 suicides in 2022. In second place was Kollam.
The city reported 472 suicides last year. That’s not all. Kerala stood first in suicide rate among unemployed persons with 2,204 deaths per 1 lakh people, and fourth in suicides by persons engaged in private sector enterprises with 1,004 people ending their lives per 1 lakh of the population.
“The rise in deaths implies an urgent need for serious intervention,” said Dr C J John, a psychiatrist. There were various factors involved, he said, adding, “The pandemic continues to play a significant role. Though during, and for some time after the pandemic, psycho-social counselling was provided, none thought of providing it long-term. Effects of economic problems brought about by the pandemic on one’s mental health have been huge.” Dr John said this was in addition to the already existing issues. “Economic problems are a major cause of depression. It would have helped if a mapping of people was done after the pandemic” he said.
He said it could also be seen that suicides were on the rise among the elderly. “Loneliness is a factor. In the past, when people went abroad for jobs, it was always believed that they would return. Now, things have changed and the elderly find themselves all alone,” he said.
Talking about the age group with the highest incidence of suicides in Kerala, Rajesh Pillai, the national director of Maithiri, an NGO working for suicide prevention in the state, said, “We get the most calls from those aged below 25 years. Kerala is seeing such huge numbers as the incidents are being reported to the police. This doesn’t happen in the rest of the country. What’s more worrying is that the actual number of cases across the country is double that published by NCRB.”
(Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Seek the help of mental health experts if you are in distress. Toll-free helpline number: 1056)