A Public Health Approach to Suicide Prevention

Prof. Roy Abraham Kallivayalil

Secretary General World Psychiatric Association,

Professor & Head Dept of Psychiatry, Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Tiruvalla

Suicide is a global public health concern. Close to 800,000 people lose their lives to suicide every year. Suicide is estimated to contribute more than 2% to the global burden of disease by 2020. Suicide impacts the most vulnerable of the world’s populations and places a larger burden on low- and middle-income countries, which are often ill-equipped to meet the general health and mental health needs of their populations. Suicide knows no boundaries and cuts across every socio demographic level and all regions of the world.

In India, suicide rates are higher in the southern states. Suicides rates in Kerala were the highest at 32 about a decade, which has been brought down to around 25, by sustained efforts by government, mental health professionals and the civil society organizations. Still we have a very long way to go! Farmer suicides are a vexing problem facing the country. There is controversy raging on whether this is a sociological disaster or unrecognized psychopathology. Farmer suicides continue to occupy public space, with everyday reference and is seen as a “Measure of failure of the larger developmental policies of the nation”. Farmer suicide is seen as a crisis of agriculture and a crisis of farmer loans. What is ignored is the mental health and psychosocial aspects and the need for a caring community to address farmer distress.

Unfortunately, suicide prevention is too often a low priority for governments and policy-makers. Suicide prevention needs to be prioritized on global public health and public policy agendas and awareness of suicide as a public health concern must be raised by using a multidimensional approach that recognizes social, psychological and cultural factors.

Let me congratulate the initiatives being taken by UNARVE FOUNDATION at Thodupuzha. One of their main plans is befriending – to act as or become a friend to someone, especially when they are in need of help or support. Befrienders are carefully selected volunteers, who are trained to provide support and companionship to lonely, or emotionally distressed, people. Given the magnitude of suicidal behaviours, there is an urgent need for governments to develop a comprehensive national suicide prevention strategy that contextualizes the problem and outlines specific actions that can be taken at multiple levels. Suicide prevention is a collective responsibility and must be spear headed by governments and civil society together throughout the world.