Suicide is a paramount affair in today's world.
There have been various justifications over the course of history as to whether or not suicide is a rational option to end ones struggles. The Athenian philosopher Plato was always against the opinion of suicide yet he made three exceptions by stating that the state could "legally order" a person to commit suicide or it could be a result of a painful illness or due to intolerable misfortune. A couple of millennia later in 1961 a suicide act was adopted in England and Wales, this decriminalized suicide and also saw a change after centuries of religious penalties for suicides hence implying that a person could commit suicide out of his/her will for any reason that's personal to the individual. There have been mixed opinions about suicides over the centuries but today the belief permits suicide which is in contrast to two centuries ago when it would be a 'sin' or an unlawful act to do so.
Currently we see a fast increase in the usage of social media and information sharing, a fast growing population with India being leaders in this respect, trends in the belief system of an individual and many more factors that can directly influence a persons decision to take his/her life. Suicide is a large talking matter today because globally 800 000 people die of suicide, most of them are amongst the age group of 15-29. Another interesting figure is 79% of all suicides are committed by people in low and middle range category in terms of income. So what does this all got to do with India?
India is a fast growing nation yet a large number of citizens are in economic dependance, a cause of this can be due to inflexible labor laws (94% of India's workforce belongs to the unorganised sector) which might result in a personal financial crisis. To add to such struggles the various factors mentioned above such as trends in the belief system could result to suicide. To amount to the various other factors that might influence suicide, depression stands tall besides impulsive behaviour and the requirement for psychiatric treatment. In India a large number of suicide victims are women which is double the quantity of the average global rate for women. Married women account for a higher proportion of this figure. Youth marriage and arranged marriages, weak marriage laws, domestic violence and low social status are the leading reasons for a woman in india to commit suicide. For the elderly in India it is said that social isolation, health struggles, depression and the feeling of being a 'burden on the rest of the family' are claimed to be the popular reasons for suicide. Another category of people being affected by suicide are the Indian students. Every hour an Indian student commits suicide. Between 2014-2017 26,000 students commited suicide, although specific reasons are almost never known it is said that the failure in exams is a leading reason apart from forced career choice and the stigma that students are over burdened.
I have touched upon three categories of people who account for a large portion of the number of Indians that commit suicide. Their reasons may be different but the result is the same and this severely impacts the debate of whether the human race is a success or a failure. By the theory of evolution a species would evolve to beat competition amongst other species in large (the general trend in evolution although individual differences play a role) whereas with this blog's respect its quite the opposite in large. Humans should ensure the survival of its members. The people commiting suicide can in fact be people who can contribute well to society too, take for instance the case of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who had suicidal thoughts but later overcame his depression and now stands as an influential figure. These days the word suicide lost its meaning, to make this point clear, suicide has a role in pop culture and is freely used in hyperbolic situations commonly whereas before the early 20th century the word suicide had a sense of fear instilled in another person when the topic was brought up. Thus, in my opinion I think suicide is an action taken for granted due to the wrong usage of the word. The reason I included the above points are to illustrate how suicide can be unnecessary or easily prevented in most cases. It may be argued that the rationality of suicide is due to a set of complex interactions of various factors, that point is valid to a high degree so the best that organisations and governments can do is to vouch for a Suicide prevention policy that might contribute into ensuring a more successful and effective human generation that can set an example to the ones to come.
Unfortunately India is an influential country without a suicide prevention policy and as mentioned above the rates of suicides in India are soaring above quite a few countries, hence the need of a suicide prevention policy is imminent. It should be understood that the reasons for suicides in India won't match that of another country, say Germany. So below I have listed a few points that can add to making an effective prevention policy for the general Indian public, the points are those that I thought might work so it can be open to correction but what I vouch for in doing this is to take steps in the right direction.
Suicide prevention policies in various areas
- Education- Students progress and mental health should be evaluated throughout including in the years spent at higher studies. Mental Health professionals who are specifically trained in handling such cases should be able to counsel even if a slight hint of unusual behaviour is noted. Students with disabilities should be accepted in a school with a refined admission system or join a special school that provide effective learning that's specific for a disabled student. Knowledge of child helplines should be made aware in all public or private institutions.
-Employment- Regular seminars are to be provided to members in the corporate world by mental health professionals to educate employees on coping strategies. Job offers must be based on qualification rather than a family or social link of sorts. For disabled people it is necessary that barriers are to be broken to empower and utilise them freely.
-Social security- Advertisement campaigns are a must and a specific budget ought to be set to ensure awareness of suicide amongst the general public, they should be published appropriate to local culture and language. Mental health professionals are to be addressed to if a problem was reported by higher authorities including the police in a system that can cater to all age groups. It is important to include men and women in the mental health sector so that certain patients bring out their issues freely and more effectively.
-Prisons- Mental health professionals are to advice the local prison officers on coping methods for prisoners and take the necessary measures. This way identification and reduction of issues specific to prisoners are taken care of.
Women in rural areas- A budget must be laid out to ensure that The hindu marriage act, 1995 is followed amongst hindu marriages and likewise for other religions. All women below the age of 18 in rural districts are to be educated by mental health professionals and government employees on appropriate marriage laws and suicide prevention policies that are taken to reduces suicide rates. Empowerment of rural women in jobs should be made easy hence this can take care of a woman's finances even after a divorce. Special funds are to be provided to such women who earn an amount lesser than the average for that district.
Health Care services for the aged- Senior citizens above the age of 65 can have open access to care homes that are designed to provide the right environment and appropriate conditions. Regular inspections are to be done too to ensure the viability of the center. Senior citizens in care homes should consult a mental health psychologist frequently to ensure a stable mentality.
I have addressed few areas that are in immediate need for a suicide prevention policy. It can be noted that the role of mental health psychiatrist is crucial in implementing such policies. To ensure the viability of such a policy the stigma of psychiatrist having mental problems themselves (this result was noted by a study based on why Indians choose not to go to a psychiatrist) should be erased. psychiatrist create awareness and dwell into mental conditions that can be damaging to society, hence it is important to consider a psychiatrist in cases of stress, depression, unusual behaviour and suicidal thoughts. The aim of this blog was to create awareness for psychiatrists and ensure that appropriate steps are taken to implement a suicide prevention policy by creating awareness. There may be few points that can be improved upon, hence I am open to suggestions and various other opinions so feel free to comment below! 😃
Bibliography-
Comments
Post a Comment