13 October 2022 – The Hindu

Suicide deaths in India

• Suicide rate: Indian women and girls still have a suicide rate that is twice the world average, notwithstanding a little drop over the previous 10 or so years.

Youngsters:

• Suicide claims a significant number of young lives and is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 39.

Most prevalent method:

• Suicide most frequently occurs via hanging, then self-immolation, drug overdose, and pesticide poisoning.

Other elements:

• Depression, social and cultural issues, and alcohol use disorders all appear to have an effect on the likelihood of suicide.

Suicide attempt vs. suicide:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that while men are more likely to commit suicide, women are more likely to attempt it (CDC).
• The majority of suicide deaths worldwide occur in India.
• The creation of India’s long-awaited national suicide prevention strategy is still progressing slowly.

What Is Suicide, Exactly?

• The intentional killing of oneself with the intention of ending one’s life is known as suicide.
• Suicide attempts occur when someone makes an effort to take their own life but fails.

Therapies and Treatments:

Minimalist interventions:

Preparing for Safety:

• It has been demonstrated that personalised safety planning lowers suicidal ideas and behaviours.

Continuation phone calls:

• The likelihood of suicide in at-risk individuals is shown to be decreased by additional screening, a Safety Plan intervention, and a series of encouraging phone calls, according to research.

Psychotherapies:

• Users of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can pick up new coping mechanisms for trying situations.
• When suicidal thoughts surface, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) enables individuals to recognise their thought patterns and explore possible solutions.
• Teenage suicidal behaviour has been demonstrated to decrease with dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).

Suicide’s legal position in India:

Section 309:

• History: Because of the way people believed at the time, who considered self-immolation or suicide attempts to be crimes against the state and religion, the law was originally formed by the British in the 19th century.
• IPC Section 309, which addresses “Attempt to commit suicide,” can be used to prosecute any survivor of a suicide attempt.
• Any person who attempts suicide or engages in conduct that could lead to the commission of such an offence may be subject to a simple imprisonment sentence of up to one year, a fine, or both.

Concerning Section 309:

• Contrary to what many people believe, the clause is still in the IPC and is currently being used excessively.
• The scope for the implementation of Section 309 IPC was significantly constrained by the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017, which took effect in July 2018. It also limited the punishment for suicide attempts to unique situations.
• Because there are still reports of its usage by police forces across the nation, it would suggest that the limitations placed on its use under the MHCA’s provisions—as opposed to its complete eradication—are insufficient.

 Actions taken by the Indian government:

 1982’s National Mental Health Program (NMHP):

• to ensure that, in the near future, everyone has access to at least a basic level of mental healthcare, with a focus on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable segments in society.

The 2017 Mental Healthcare Act:

• It went into effect in May 2018 and took the place of the Mental Health Act of 1987. In 2017, it was made a law.
• The act decriminalised suicide attempts in India, much to the relief of the vast majority of Indian medical specialists and mental health advocates.
• The WHO classifications for mental diseases were also included.
• The act’s “advanced directives” provision, which permitted patients with mental illnesses to choose their own treatment plan and advocate, was its most important part.
• It also introduced measures to eventually end stigma in Indian society by regulating the use of ECT and making it unlawful to use it on children.

The 2017 Rights of People with Disabilities Act:

• The Act strives to increase the rights and entitlements of individuals with disabilities and provides a solid mechanism to ensure their empowerment and inclusion in society. The impairment of mental illness is acknowledged.

The Manodarpan Project:

• As part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan effort, students will receive psycho-social support for their mental health and wellbeing.

Kiran Support:

• The helpline can provide support and crisis management, which is a significant step in the right way for suicide prevention.
• The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities will oversee the helpline, which seeks to provide early identification, first assistance, psychological support, distress management, mental well-being, and psychological crisis management (DEPwD).

Gating system model:

Gatekeepers:

• Gatekeepers are people who are already in place and are in a position to assist the convicts while being near the criminals.
• They can be fellow criminals serving time in prison or members of the staff who are adept at spotting and supporting prisoners who need psychological assistance.
• The gatekeeper could act as a link between those who could attempt suicide or have psychological issues and the professional treatment. This is highly helpful for prisoners who are at risk of committing suicide.

Objective:

• According to this concept, highly skilled inmates are to identify inmates who may commit suicide and refer them to counselling or other supportive services.

A case study:

• The recommendation referenced the Bangalore Prison Mental Health Study to back up its assertion that 80% of convicts had a mental disease or a substance use condition.

Friendship group:

• It was discovered that the “Buddy System” idea, which provides social assistance via trained inmates known as “buddies” or “listeners,” had a positive effect on the wellbeing of suicidal prisoners.
• Frequent phone calls to family and friends would increase support.

e-Mulakat:

• It is possible to book interviews with prisoners in advance using the National Prisons Information Portal, an internet platform for advocates, friends, and relatives of prisoners.

Taking Action:

• A scaffolding approach that is always available and present during a person’s most vulnerable times in life may be able to help people who aren’t able to manage on their own.
• The report recommends forming a task force to do research on suicide prevention and develop a road map.
• Additionally, there is a need for more up-to-date, accurate, and reliable data on suicides and attempted suicides.
• A fix for the several problems the law’s “attempt to suicide” clause has.
• It also includes programmes that have reduced pesticide accessibility and, as a result, the suicide rate nationwide, especially in rural and student areas.
• Many national health programmes in the nation have found success with the strategy of launching a programme in mission mode.
• The demands of the individual States must be taken into account while modifying a national policy that provides overall direction. The number of deadly suicides is relatively high in this country. Many lives will still be spared even if the rate is reduced by 5%.