Suicide is a widely recognized universal public health concern. Its impact extends beyond the individual who ends life by suicide, affecting their families, friends and society. Globally, suicide stands as the fourth leading cause of mortality among the age group of 15-29 years. An estimate of 800,000 individuals succumb to suicide every year, equating to a staggering rate of one suicide every 40 seconds. Furthermore, for each completed suicide, there are more than 20 attempted suicides, underscoring the significant impact of this issue. (WHO, 2021). In India, suicide was identified as one of the leading factors attributing to mortality among individuals aging between 15-39 years. In 2022, it was reported that a total of 1,70,924 individuals died by suicide in India, reflecting a notable rise of 4.2% in comparison to the preceding year (NCRB,2022). These statistics highlight the alarming magnitude of the problem of suicide in India, necessitating immediate attention and intervention. The current presentation will focus on the prevalence, my research work in the area of suicide prevention and future plans.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Bharath Rathinam Holds Ph.D. & M.Phil. from Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru. He has published seven articles.