India is facing a teen suicide crisis with an increasing number of vulnerable adolescents and young adults finding it difficult to cope with the burden of parental expectations, peer pressure, demands of an exam-focused education system and breakdown of traditional family structures – Arundhati Nath On September 12 an 18-year-old student of IIT-Guwahati hanged herself in her hostel room; five days later, a final year dental student committed suicide in Hyderabad; and less than a week later, a student in IIT-Madras ended her life. A student commits suicide every hour in India, according to latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). YourDOST, an online counseling service, reveals that 75,000 students committed suicide during the decade 2007-2017 — a 52 percent increase over the past decade. India is facing a student suicide crisis with an increasing number of vulnerable adolescents and young adults finding it difficult to cope with the burden of parental expectations, peer pressure, demands of an exam-focused education system and breakdown of traditional family structures. Yet despite India recording the highest youth suicides worldwide (35.5 per 100,000), there’s a curious reluctance within society, and in particular within the parents community to discuss mental health problems, especially suicide. Most parents are ignorant about mental health issues and the social stigma surrounding psychological disorders ensures that troubled teens don’t receive evaluation and counseling. In fact until March last year when the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2017 was unanimously passed by Parliament, attempted suicide was a crime under s. 309 of the Indian Penal Code. The Mental Healthcare Act decriminalises attempted suicide and recognises the importance of mental healthcare provision. According to mental health experts and counsellors, the major factors pushing adolescents and young adults over the edge are inability to cope with failure in examinations and personal relationships. Comments Tanuja Babre, programme coordinator of iCALL, a free telephone and email-based counselling helpline of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai: “More than 30 percent of iCALL’s user base comprises adolescents and young people, and fear of suicide is one of five main reasons for which they reach out to counsellors. Drawing from iCALL’s experiences, teen suicides stem from academic or career related stress, relationship issues with peers and family, poor body image, and traumatic experiences such as bullying, sexual abuse etc.” Warning signs Richa Singh, CEO and co-founder of YourDOST, an online counselling service, lists warning signs that parents, teachers and acquaintances should watch out for in vulnerable young adults. • Intense mood swings • Constant talk of death or suicide • Intense depression • Social withdrawal • Sudden change in diet and sleep habits. • Persistent boredom, difficulty concentrating, or a decline in the quality of schoolwork • Tendency to commit self-harm Communication is key Tanuja Babre advises parents to be observant and vigilant abut behavioural changes, encourage open two-way communication, provide teens showing signs of stress their unconditional emotional support and to proactively seek professional help. “In most cases culminating in suicide, the victims were desperately trying…
