Recently we marked the World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 with the slogan “Take a minute, change a life”. Several pertinent questions are still unanswered while the world observed the day with a motto of public awareness and preventing suicidal behaviors. Today the world is struggling to combat suicide considered as a “silent killer”.

In Nepal the incidence of suicide is increasing every year. In a recent report published by Nepal Police 5,124 people committed suicide in the fiscal year 2016/2017 across the country. This figure was 4,673 in the last fiscal year 2015/2016. These figures are “red flags” that compels timely action.

About 90% of people who have committed suicide had mental health disorder at the time of their death. Depression is considered to be the top risk factor however bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are other mental disorders that can contribute to suicide. Several other factors that trigger suicidal behaviors are substance abuse, family history of suicide, social isolation and bullying and incarceration.

The signs we might see in  individuals who commit suicide are sleep changes either excessive or insomnia, researching ways to kill themselves, increased use of alcohol or drugs, isolation or withdrawal and extreme mood swings, among others. Sometimes suicide happens in such a way that everyone remains perplexed because the person who committed it was very cheerful and happy. We are unable to trace any warning signals. This is because we have a common misconception that only mental illness leads to suicide which is not the case. Sometimes a person is all of a sudden happy and loving and it feels like they are being over thankful and over kind with you. They expose it to you so that they can leave you without regrets.

Because of social stigma, people and their family who suffer mental illness don’t expose the illness and more often try to hide this. The victim doesn’t get support even from their own family and are sometimes left in the harsh conditions like locked in a room and tied with ropes. A comprehensive national suicide-prevention strategy is needed which involves wide participation of the community and civil society. Government must ensure the availability of psychiatric and counseling services in health centers across the country. As a friend and family we have a common role to take care of them.