By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Apr. 4: The cases of suicide are on the rise in Nepal. The data show that 17 suicides took place per day during the last fiscal year.
According to the figures provided by Nepal Police, 6,241 cases of suicide were reported in 2019/20; 5,754 in 2018/19; 5,397 in 2017/18; 5,124 in 2016/17 and 4,680 in 2015/16.
Concerned authorities cite mental health issues as a leading cause of growing suicide cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health issues include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, developmental disorders including autism, among others. Millions of people worldwide suffer from such issues.
“An individual attempts suicide when s/he has suffered from mental health problems for quite a while. However, early medical interventions like counseling and treatment can go a long way to saving them. So, periodic mental health examination is of paramount importance,” said Dr. Pujan Sharma, a psychiatrist at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH).
Mental health experts say that anyone can suffer from poor mental health when something shocking or undesired happens in one’s life.
“Since mental health disorders drive most individuals to take their own lives, they need to reach out to doctors for necessary counseling and treatment before the affliction turns nasty,” said Dr. Sagun Ballav Pant, another psychiatrist at TUTH.
Psychiatrists say that people have different misunderstandings, including stigma, associated with mental health in the society, because of which they shy away from going to health centres for treatment.
“There are several helplines operating round the clock which people having mental health issues can avail of,” said Dr. Pant, adding, “People, especially the targeted ones, are still aware of the facilities being provided by various organisations in a bid to mitigate suicides.”
Mental health experts stress that the awareness campaigns must encourage mentally ill individuals to reach health centres and to dial helpline numbers for necessary counseling.
“If an individual arrives at the health centre, s/he can not only be diagnosed of the afflictions, but also be provided with necessary treatment, helping them to break free from the mental troubles ,” said Dr. Sharma.
The COVID-induced lockdown has worsened the mental health problems among all sections of the population, pushing the number of patients to alarming levels. Therefore, government must enact strong measures to prevent the mental health issues from escalating further.
The data show that over 1,500 individuals across the country committed suicide during the lockdown period. Around 800,000 individuals are reported to die due to suicide every year globally.