Gone too soon — the subject of youth suicide in India
Suicide is the tragic and untimely loss of human life, all the more devastating and perplexing because it is a conscious volitional act. India has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of suicides in the world. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports that 1.71 lakh people died by suicide in 2022. The suicide rate has increased to 12.4 per 1,00,000 — the highest rate ever recorded in India. But these figures are underestimated due to an inadequate registration system, the lack of medical certification of death, stigma and other factors. Unfortunately, 41% of all suicides are by young people below the age of 30. Suicide is the leading cause of mortality for young women in India. A young Indian dies by suicide every eight minutes, which is a loss to family, society, the economy and future of the country. Suicide in the young is a major public health problem in India. There is no single factor Suicide is a complex human behaviour and it is futile to locate a single