Over 10% rise in number of suicides in Gujarat

The number of suicides in Gujarat has risen by 10.5% in 2008, as compared to 2007, with housewives constituting the highest percentage, according to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
       
The recently published report titled 'Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India-2008' said the number of suicides in Gujarat has increased to 6,165 in 2008 from 5580 registered in 2007, an increase of 10.5%. The all-India average was recorded at 2.2%.
       
Out of the 6,165 suicides in 2008 in Gujarat, 1,744 (28.3%) were housewives.
       
Gujarat, where 4.9% of the total suicides in the country took place in 2008, stands eighth in the list of state after West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, where high suicide rates were recorded.
       
Dr GK Vankar, head, Psychiatry Department at BJ Medical College, told PTI, "Suicide is a complex phenomenon with depression and stress being major factors responsible for it. We believe that those who commit suicide 80% of them are suffering from depression and related disorders."
       
"Women are taking up dual responsibilities now a days..like working and also taking care of home and children which adds up to the stress. Also, among housewives, there are number of factors-- social, economical and psychological which could lead to depression, stress and result in suicide," Vankar said.
   
City-based sociologist Edwin Masihi said that societal pressures are a major factor contributing to the stress among the young men and women.
       
"Housewives face traditional problems like not being able to conceive a male child, dowry and other forms of harassment, while the working women find it difficult to adjust into a joint family where she has to perform many roles," Masihi said.
       
Also, decrease in interaction between husband, wife and children, difference in standards of living add to the stress factor, he added.
       
"Some of our studies has also showed that people from lower middle class with economic instability or limited income are more prone to ending their lives," he said adding there is an urgent need for trained counselors who could counsel people in stress.
       
On suicides by unemployed youth, Vankar said, "It is rather those youth who lose employment who are more prone to stress and depression." The NCRB report said that 47 women committed suicide because of dowry disputes, while 83 killed themselves after failing in a love affair.
       
Others committing suicide include those working in private sector companies (9.9%), unemployed persons (9.1%), self-employed persons in farming or agriculture (8.5%) and students (4.9%).
       
According to the NCRB report, one of the major causes for suicides was illness (24.1). Family problems were the second highest cause resulting in 1,220 suicides, which comes to 19.8% of the total suicide cases.
       
The other causes included insanity (10.5%), unemployment (4%) and poverty (2%).
       
The NCRB report showed that 22.6% of the total persons committing suicide in Gujarat were uneducated, while 35.2% had only completed primary school, 19.4% had finished middle school. While 15.7% had completed matriculation, only 5.2% had attended high school, 1.4% became graduates and just 0.1% had done post-graduation.