Overview

Millions of people die by suicide every year worldwide. Moreover, for each suicide, there are multiple suicide attempts.

Suicides and suicide attempts have a domino effect on relationships, friends, co-workers, and communities on the whole.

Suicides are preventable. We need to work towards preventing suicide at individual, community and national levels.

Impact

It is approximated that a person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide occurs at all ages and is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds worldwide.

Mental disorders like depression and alcohol use conditions could cause suicides, but many suicides can also happen impulsively in moments of crisis. Further risk factors include loss feeling, loneliness, discrimination, break-up in a relationship, financial problems, illness, violence, abuse, and conflict or other philanthropic emergencies. The most potent risk determinant for suicide is a prior suicide attempt.

PGC Response

We can do a lot to prevent suicide. The below critical interventions have proven to be effective:

• limit access to the means of suicide
• media interaction for responsible reporting of suicide
• foster socio-emotional life skills in youths
• to identify early, assess, manage, and follow up with the person affected by suicidal behaviours 

These interventions need to be supplemented with: situation analysis, multisectoral collaboration, raising awareness, capacity building, funding, inspection, monitoring and evaluation.

PGC is working towards building comprehensive multisectoral national suicide prevention strategies based on the approach above.

Fact Sheet

Number: India reported 139,123 suicides in 2019, an increase of 3.4% compared to 2018.

PGC Resolution: Provide measures and control suicide in India. Introduce intervention for mental, neurological and substance use disorders.