Kathmandu, November 18

With the increase in the number of patients with mental health, suicide rates have also gone up in the recent years in the country.

According to the data of fiscal year 2016/17, 5,124 people committed suicide. In the fiscal year 2012/13, 3,974 people committed suicide. In the last four years, the country has seen 13 per cent increase in suicide rate.

Kedar Rayamajhi, a psychologist, said that leading cause for increasing suicide is depression. He said, “There is a cut throat competition in every sector and people are running after materialist gain which leads to failure and thus they become victim of depression and other mental issues.”

According to the World Health Organisation, 10.4 per cent of people who went for foreign employment committed suicide.

“Proper counseling is one solution to the problem,” said Rayamajhi. Even Ministry of Labor and Employment needs to have counseling department for the citizen who apply for foreign employment. “Language problem, cultural differences, changed food habits in changing scenario, etc are some of the troubling factors for such migrant workers. If the government could provide free helpline service and counseling desk in each country where Nepali workers go for employment, suicide rates can be controlled to some extent.”