Student suicides in India 2010, Maharashtra state No.3 in suicides

All data from National Crime records Bureau Despite reforms, 9.6% more students ended lives Shreya Bhandary, TNN | Nov 3, 2011, 02.48AM IST Article Comments (1) Read more:Suicide|NCRB|Education system 1 MUMBAI: Though the education system is being reformed consistently, the effort, it appears, is not alleviating the stress on students. Data recently released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that 115 students committed suicide in Mumbai in 2010-a 9.6% rise on the previous year. Of these, 65 were girls. According to the NCRB report, student suicides have been increasing continually in India. While in 2006, the figure was 5,857, it rose to 7,379 in 2010. This means that, on an average, about 20 students took their lives every day last year. "It is known that students tend to take stress to another level, particularly during exam period and after the results are out. But the fact that this trend is growing at a rapid rate with every passing year cannot be ignored anymore," said a psychiatrist with a leading city hospital. The high incidence of copycat student suicides in Mumbai last year left the city aghast. "After a student of Sharda Ashram School in Dadar (W) committed suicide last year, many others took the same horrid step. In some cases students weren't even facing any problems in studies. They were anxious to know the outcome of such an act," said psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty. Shetty argued that the internet and other technologies have also created problems since parents are not always familiar with these technologies. "Many times, kids know more than what they need to at their age. This is not good." Taking notice of the high number of student suicides, the education department last year set into motion several measures to ease the pressure on children. "One cannot completely eliminate stress from a child's life because they have to face bigger hardships when they grow up. Therefore, the focus needs to be on reducing stress and helping students handle it well. The government of Maharashtra has taken ample steps to reduce the stress on students," argued educationist Basanti Roy. Roy said that Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), the best-five policy, and cultural and sports quotas have allowed students to do better in studies. "Schools need to be have more counsellors and counselling sessions for students and parents. Even teachers need to be more accountable for their teaching methods. They have to ensure that no student feels left out. We have to root out the problem," said Roy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-year-olds suffer anxiety disorders Sumitra Deb Roy, TNN | Nov 3, 2011, 02.50AM IST Article Comments Read more:BMC-run Sion Hospital|anxiety disorders 0 MUMBAI: Anxiety disorders are as much a reality in children as they are in adults. A recent study conducted by the BMC-run Sion Hospital has revealed that children as young as 11 years could suffer from anxiety disorders for reasons ranging from academics and co-curricular activities to appearance and even separation from parents. The study was conducted on 450 students from Class 5 to Class 10 in a renowned CBSE school, who were both interviewed and clinically examined. The findings showed that 36.7% showed signs of anxiety disorder, which clearly escalated as students climbed grades-those studying in Class 8, 9 and 10 comprised 35.3% of those suffering from the disorder. The statistics indicated that anxiety levels peak in the age group of 13-15 years. Psychiatrists say that anxiety, a sensation the body experiences as a response to real or perceived threat, affects children majorly. "But it remains largely undiagnosed and untreated," said principal investigator Dr Anjali Karira, now working at Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar. Dr Karira conducted the study under Dr Nilesh Shah, head of psychiatry at Sion Hospital. In the questionnaire, students were asked whether they suffered from any form of anxiety. A similar questionnaire was given to the parents, asking if they felt their child suffered from anxiety. Only 26 of the 450 students replied in the negative. While as many as 17.8% were found to be suffering from generalised anxiety disorder, 15.8% had social anxiety disorder, 13.3% had panic disorder and 5.6% of children had separation anxiety disorder. Interestingly, only 83 parents reported anxiety in their children-when the children themselves were asked, 276 replied that they thought they suffered from the disorder. Girls outnumbered boys-64.7% suffered from some form of anxiety. Interestingly, Karira found that for girls, appearance was a major trigger for anxiety. "The commonest cause for anxiety across genders was exams. Students also seemed to be anxious before peer activities, and some chose to avoid social gatherings totally," she added. Another significant finding of the study was that around 97.1% with anxiety disorder belonged to nuclear families while 90.9% of children without anxiety disorder came from joint families. According to psychiatrist Harish Shetty, "In joint families, children have several points of contact. That serves as a buffer." At least 15 students were advised to take medical help immediately. Many were counselled even during the course of the study. Generalised anxiety disorder---17.8% Social Anxiety Disorder-- 5.8% Panic Disorder 13.3 % Seperation Anxiety Disorder--5.6% --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Suicides in Mumbai rose by 13% last year Shreya Bhandary, TNN | Nov 3, 2011, 02.48AM IST Article Comments (2) Read more:Suicides|rising expenses|High-pressure lives|changing aspirations 2 MUMBAI: High-pressure lives, changing aspirations, rising expenses are increasingly taking a toll on the city. As many as 1,192 Mumbaikars took their lives last year, which was 13% more than in 2009. The reasons, according to a report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), varied from family problems to illness to lack of jobs and exam-related failure. The Mumbai figures are of a piece with the national trend. More than 1.34 lakh people ended their lives in India last year-a rise of nearly 6% on 2009. Broken down, what this means is that, disturbingly, nearly 15 people committed suicide every hour in some part of the country in 2010, with one in every five suicides being committed by a housewife. The rate of suicides, which is the number of suicides per lakh people, too grew in 2010, as it had been in the four years before that. For the third straight year, Maharashtra figured among the top five states with the highest suicide numbers. According to NCRB, 15,916 people took their lives last year, which was 11.8% of the national tally. Only Tamil Nadu (16,561) and West Bengal (16,037) witnessed more suicides. Psychiatrists warn that the rise in suicides is a worrisome issue that needs to be studied and tackled immediately. "Globalisation is having a major impact on the lifestyles of people both in urban and rural areas," said psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty. Inflation, high aspirations, unequal opportunities are affecting people across economic strata, Shetty explained. "Nobody is impervious to stress and tension nowadays. All this is taking a toll on the human brain." What shocked psychiatrists was the high number of married women ending their lives. They say that earlier single women were more prone to taking the massive step. "Dowry harassment, pressure to bear children, impotency, mental or physical harassment is forcing women in rural areas to give up on life," said Dr Sanjay Kumawat, medical superintendent of Thane Mental Hospital. "In urban regions, difference in aspirations is ruining marriages." Kumawat argued that rising domestic expenses are putting immense pressure on married couples. "Men take to alcohol, but women hide their problems and soon find themselves in a downward spiral. Unable to find a solution, many women commit suicide." Many doctors say that they are frequently visited by married couples seeking counselling. However, very few are able to sustain their relationship. Meanwhile, according to the NCRB report, the number of mass suicides has also increased over the years. Out of the 109 such cases reported in India in 2010, 22 cases were registered in Bihar, followed by 22 in Kerala. Maharashtra witnessed four such cases. "Copycat suicide is a growing trend. People who are unwell easily relate to those who end their lives," explained Shetty. Another troublesome trend that psychiatrists warn of is that the age of first suicidal attempt is lowering. "Even kids in the age group of 9-12 share with me their experiences about the first attempt at ending their lives. This is one very sad and worrisome feature and needs to immediately looked into," Shetty said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maharshtra State No.3 in Suicides in 2010 Nearly 15 people on an average ended their lives in the country , every hour.. With one in every five suicides being committed by a housewife.. In total over 1.34 lakh people committed suicide in 2010 , a rise of 6 % compared to 2009. In Maharashtra the suicide figures were 15,916, the third highest figures for a state in the country and in Mumbai 1192, the fourth highest among metros. Suicides in Mumbai rose by 13% last year Shreya Bhandary, TNN | Nov 3, 2011, 02.48AM IST Article Comments (2) Read more:Suicides|rising expenses|High-pressure lives|changing aspirations 2 MUMBAI: High-pressure lives, changing aspirations, rising expenses are increasingly taking a toll on the city. As many as 1,192 Mumbaikars took their lives last year, which was 13% more than in 2009. The reasons, according to a report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), varied from family problems to illness to lack of jobs and exam-related failure. The Mumbai figures are of a piece with the national trend. More than 1.34 lakh people ended their lives in India last year-a rise of nearly 6% on 2009. Broken down, what this means is that, disturbingly, nearly 15 people committed suicide every hour in some part of the country in 2010, with one in every five suicides being committed by a housewife. The rate of suicides, which is the number of suicides per lakh people, too grew in 2010, as it had been in the four years before that. For the third straight year, Maharashtra figured among the top five states with the highest suicide numbers. According to NCRB, 15,916 people took their lives last year, which was 11.8% of the national tally. Only Tamil Nadu (16,561) and West Bengal (16,037) witnessed more suicides. Psychiatrists warn that the rise in suicides is a worrisome issue that needs to be studied and tackled immediately. "Globalisation is having a major impact on the lifestyles of people both in urban and rural areas," said psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty. Inflation, high aspirations, unequal opportunities are affecting people across economic strata, Shetty explained. "Nobody is impervious to stress and tension nowadays. All this is taking a toll on the human brain." What shocked psychiatrists was the high number of married women ending their lives. They say that earlier single women were more prone to taking the massive step. "Dowry harassment, pressure to bear children, impotency, mental or physical harassment is forcing women in rural areas to give up on life," said Dr Sanjay Kumawat, medical superintendent of Thane Mental Hospital. "In urban regions, difference in aspirations is ruining marriages." Kumawat argued that rising domestic expenses are putting immense pressure on married couples. "Men take to alcohol, but women hide their problems and soon find themselves in a downward spiral. Unable to find a solution, many women commit suicide." Many doctors say that they are frequently visited by married couples seeking counselling. However, very few are able to sustain their relationship. Meanwhile, according to the NCRB report, the number of mass suicides has also increased over the years. Out of the 109 such cases reported in India in 2010, 22 cases were registered in Bihar, followed by 22 in Kerala. Maharashtra witnessed four such cases. "Copycat suicide is a growing trend. People who are unwell easily relate to those who end their lives," explained Shetty. Another troublesome trend that psychiatrists warn of is that the age of first suicidal attempt is lowering. "Even kids in the age group of 9-12 share with me their experiences about the first attempt at ending their lives. This is one very sad and worrisome feature and needs to immediately looked into," Shetty said. Suicides in major cities Mumbai 1051 (2009) and 1192 (2010) rose by 13% Bangalore: 2167 and 1778 down by 18% Chennai 1412 and 1325 down by 6 % Delhi 1215 and 1242 rose by 2.2 % Kolkata 200 and 277 rose by 38% Suicides accross India 2010 1.34 lakh rate of suicides 11.4 per 1 lakh population 2009 1.27 lakh rate of suicides 10.9 2008 1.25 lakh rate of suicides 10.8 2007 1.22 lakh rate of suicides 10.8 2006 1.18 lakh rate of suicides 10.5 States with higher percentage share of suicides in 2009 West Bengal toptal suicides 14,648 11.5% share in overall suicides in the country Andhra Pradesh 14,500 11.4 % share Tamil Nadu 14,434 11.3 % share Maharshtra 14,300 11.2% share Karnataka 12,651 9.4 % share States with higher percentage share of suicides in 2010 West Bengal toptal suicides 16,037 11.9%share in overall suicides in the country Andhra Pradesh 15,901 11.8 % share Tamil Nadu 16,561 12.3 % share Maharshtra 15,916 11.8% share Karnataka 12,195 9.6 % share --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Causes of suicide in 2010 and their percentage share Illness 21.2% Family Problems 23.7 % Other causes 26.1 % Drug Abuse 2.5 % Dowry dispute 2.3 % Poverty 2.3 % Bankruptsy/sudden change in economic status 2.00% Love affairs 3.1% Unknown causes 16.9% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Suicide victims in India in 2010 by sex and age group upto 14 years --- Male 1640 and female 1490 15-29 years ---Male 26,387 and female 21,238 30-44years --Male 30,444 and female 14,402 45-59 years --Male 20,768 and female 7,121 60 years and above---Male 7,941 and female 3,168 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------