KATHMANDU, JULY 24

According to a study conducted by Nepal Police, suicide incidents mostly affect the poor, middle class, and farmers.

According to the "Report on Suicide Reduction and Management, 2024," which was prepared after a year-long study by a team including doctors from the Nepal Police Hospital, 85 percent of suicidal deaths occur in impoverished and middle class families.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashish Dutt, who is also the principal investigator of this suicide research project, which was supported by Nepal Police Headquarters' research, analysis, and training directorate, the study was based on a survey conducted in two districts of each province, as well as in-depth interviews, discussions, and suicide data from 77 district police offices in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

Suicide rates were highest among those in the agricultural profession. According to Dutt, who is also a Psychiatrist at Nepal Police Hospital and the Head of the Department of Psychiatry, 46.2 per cent of those who committed suicide in the last two years worked in agriculture. Then there were 17.9 per cent of labourers, 15.4 percent of students, 11.6 percent of housewives, and other occupations.

Several reports state that the situation has remained unchanged for the past two decades. Prior to this, the poor and middle classes accounted for the majority of suicidal deaths, and this has remained the case after two decades. According to experts, the current report shows that there was insufficient work done to prevent suicide by targeting that demography.

According to the World Health Organization, low- and middle-income countries have a higher incidence of psychological problems. Compelling them to make difficult decisions because of life's challenges and necessities increases stress and frustration, leading to anxiety and depression.

According to SSP Dutt, the study also looked at the educational backgrounds of those who committed suicide.

The majority of suicides were committed by people with a basic education. As 63.1 per cent of the deceased could only read and write, while 2.8 per cent had studied up to elementary, 6.7 per cent had studied lower secondary, and 13 per cent had studied up to secondary level. Among those who committed suicide, nine per cent were graduates, and 0.4 percent were postgraduate students.

In terms of ethnicity, 39 per cent of the deceased were indigenous, 31.1 per cent were Brahmin-Kshetri, 9.3 per cent were Madhesi, 20.5 per cent were Dalits, and 31.1 per cent were from other marginalised groups.

Similarly, 38.8 per cent of suicides were caused by psychological issues, with mental stress accounting for 27.8 per cent. Furthermore, 8.2 per cent committed suicide for love, eight per cent for financial reasons, and 7.5 per cent for chronic illness.

Meanwhile, drug abuse was linked to 4.7 per cent of the deaths, while alcohol consumption was linked to 2.8 per cent of suicides. Physical disabilities, unethical relationships, and unemployment are also contributing factors to suicide, according to Dutt.

According to the study, 83.5 per cent committed suicide by hanging, while 15 per cent committed suicide by consuming poison. Meanwhile, suicide notes were not found in 10,247 suicide cases, and they were found in only 1.4 per cent of 142 cases.

During the research period, 15 people who had attempted suicide were interviewed, and it was discovered that the majority of them did so because they were unable to resolve a dispute with family members or friends.

Among the interviewees, a 14-year-old boy from Solukhumbu attempted suicide after being chastised by his neighbour for stealing a mobile phone. A 20-year-old man from Sunsari attempted suicide due to financial difficulties. His financial circumstances were dire.

A 45-year-old Rautahat man said he considered suicide after being put under severe pressure due to a loan for fish farming.

"I had taken loans from different people and banks," he said. "Business was not doing well, and I could not stand it when everyone started asking at the same time."

A family member of a student who committed suicide in Sunsari described the incident as unpleasant because they were unable to spend time with their children. According to the report, the boy felt lonely because both of his parents were working, and he committed suicide out of fear that his father would scold him for poor exam results.

Experts involved in the study emphasised the importance of increasing coordination and cooperation among relevant agencies in order to reduce suicide, and they concluded that a task force should be formed at the district, municipal, and ward levels.

The report recommends that joint cooperation be strengthened by the formation of a suicide reduction and management taskforce. "Each district police precinct/office and subordinate area police office up to the 'A' category should appoint a senior officer as a contact officer for suicide reduction and management," the report stated. "They should play a coordinating role in the implementation of the suicide reduction and management action plan at the district level."

It has also been suggested that each police unit create profiles of psychiatrists, counsellors, doctors, and other professionals in the district and interact with them on a district level and that appropriate arrangements be made to provide timely treatment or counseling to people who have attempted suicide, families of suicide victims, victims of violence, other known psychopaths, and people suffering from mental illnesses.

According to reports, the person who attempted suicide by posting information on social media should be located as soon as possible, in collaboration with the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB).

"Psychiatrists or, if not available, a doctor, clinical psychologist or trained health worker should be placed and facilitated for treatment and counselling," reads the report. "Through the community-police partnership program, secondary level students in schools should be targeted for psychological counselling or with the help of trained health workers."

Additionally, awareness classes on health and stress management should be conducted. Decisions regarding controlled sales, distribution and documentation of pesticides should be made, implemented and monitored throughout the district. Arrangements should be made to identify mentally ill patients and bring them in for treatment and counselling via a door-to-door program overseen by a ward committee.