Causes of upward trend in suicide in the country and elsewhere in the world are yet to be identified as experts have revealed a number of contributing factors that should alert pediatricians.
More Bangladeshi women commit suicide than men. Teenagers aged between 10 and 19 year very often kill themselves.
The issue of suicide grabbed the spotlight after Aritree Adhikari, a Class-IX student, committed suicide at their Shantinagar residence in the city on Monday after allegedly being rebuked by her teachers for using mobile phone during examination.
Relationship problems were listed as a top factor in suicides. Hopelessness, drug abuse and childhood trauma among youths are the leading causes of suicide attempts.
According to data from Police Headquarters, among 11,095 people who committed suicide in 2017, as many as 569 of them hanged themselves, 3,467 took poison and 59 people set themselves on fire.
In 2016, the total number of suicide in Bangladesh was 10,600. In 2017, the number increased to 11,095. The rate of suicide is increasing each year. In 2015, about 10,500 people committed suicide while in 2014 this number was 10,200.
It is notable that in Bangladesh the number of suicides is higher than the number of murders every year. In 2014, the number of murders was 4,594 but the number of suicide was 10,200.
Similarly, in 2015, around 4,036 people were murdered while 10,500 people killed themselves. In 2016, some 3,591 murders were reported in Bangladesh while in 2017, a total of 3,549 people were murdered.
Incidents of suicide are increasing worldwide. According to WHO, across the globe, more people die from suicide than in warfare. Experts said, "When people do not get necessary support from their family and community, incidents of suicide increase."
He said: "The most common reason for suicide is mental pressure and grief. These people tend to believe that their suffering is permanent so they commit suicide to free themselves of their misery. "Feelings of inadequacy contribute to ultimately feeling helpless. These negative feelings constantly keep an individual under pressure. Moreover, because we lead very busy lives, we do not give time to our friends and family."
He added: "People tend to feel isolated that way. All of this is increasing the rate of suicide in the country. "
The doctor noted that family and the state can play an active role in remedying the situation. "I have had clients who have tried to commit suicide in the past. When I asked why they wanted to end their own lives, they often talked about many issues and general lack of support from family." "If we can solve these issues, the rate of suicide will come down. We have to listen to these people, we have to give them time," he said.
The Bangladesh Police are the only authorities who keep track of the suicides in the country. According to their 2017 statistics, on average around 30 people commit suicide every day.
But the police, activists, and experts concur strongly that the actual number would be much higher as many incidents go unreported.
Experts said in general the reason behind most of the suicide attempts are issues ranging from depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders, alcohol and other substance abuse, schizophrenia and other psychoses, personality disorders, aggression, impulsivity, and hostility, hopelessness, heredity, childhood trauma, past attempts, and ideation. In contrast to most Asian countries, the suicide rates lean more towards women than men in Bangladesh.
