City’s death trap - 3 suicides a day

in dadar yesterday, a family of three committed suicide because of unbearable financial problems, but this, dismiss psychologists, is not merely an urban phenomenon. figures reveal that 15 per cent people suffering from depression commit suicide. in mumbai alone, there are three suicides a day. a study conducted by sndt college reveals that housewives who find themselves isolated and helpless in a family tend to commit suicide.says dr amresh shrivastava, counsellor, prerna counselling centre, "the national crime records bureau reports one suicide every five minutes in the country. india contributes 10 per cent to the global figures. also, the rate of attempted suicide is 15 to 20 per cent higher than successful suicides. in the last decade, we observed that more children, adolescents and females commit suicide." identification, assessment and prevention should be the focus if saving lives is the aim, say psychologists. medical and psychiatric treatment should be made legally mandatory. the identification process involves pinpointing those with problems like substance abuse, psychological illness, single parents, and non-availability of social buffers. also, those who have attempted suicide in the past are at high risk. statistics reveal that all over india, 3,500 children below the age of 14 kill themselves. here, girls outnumber boys. the numbers are on the rise because emphasis is not laid on treatment, which is seeking medical and psychiatric help. insensitivity on the part of society also plays a major role. explained dr shrivastava, "one of six people who commit suicide, have visited their medical practitioner in the preceding month. that means there’s nobody’s listening." psychologist dayal mirchandani adds, "the best preventive measure is to recognise the warning signs. people coming out of depression are like to have suicidal thoughts. they usually express themselves by talking about the futility of life. such statements should be taken seriously. it is unfortunate that people are desensitised. the disturbed must seek help from a counsellor." no single problem is responsible for suicide. persons facing adverse situations in life, or those with medical or psychiatric illness, or a history of alcoholism or drug abuse, are at high risk. all this, plus a stressor, can prove to be fatal. the rate of suicide is 40 times higher in cancer patients, and 400 times higher in cases of renal failure. early identification can save a life, if followed by timely medical and psychiatric intervention. dr h l kaila, head of the psychology department, sndt, said, "we have been counselling adolescents who face problems because of academic, peer and parental pressures, and working women, who have failed in love. we allow emotional catharsis with these groups. they need an outlet to negative feelings."