Rising Suicide Risk Among Girls Under 18 Sparks Call For Stronger School & Family Mental Health Support
· Free Press Journal
Few know in India that more girls under the age of 18 die of suicide than boys, though suicides are largely a male phenomenon. The causes of suicide under 18 are because of family problems, love affairs, illness and failure in exams in that order. This data was released recently by the National Crime Research Bureau ( 2024 ). All the four reasons are interrelated. The interventions can be as follows:
Family Interventions:
Visit bettingx.bond for more information.
The commonest reasons for strife in families are due to marital issues, violence , single parent status, financial issues and others. I suspect that since the causes are recorded by the police as obtained from family members ,deaths due to loans, debts, depression may be interpreted as family issues out of shame .I have seen kids ending their life via self harm when parents fight a tug of war in the courts. Hence family health education is vital in schools, workplaces, trade union offices, women groups all NGOs, housing complexes and other places. A dedicated family counselor should be part of the counseling team everywhere. Children traumatised by families need to supported. In my experience when children experience learning, play, friendship, joy and complete acceptance the trauma can be managed better. Educational institutions are emotional buffers and need to focus on happiness and healing. Group work by psychologists with distressed kids also helps build resilience
Love, Life & Learning:
Love and friendships need to be discussed from preschool days. It begins by helping kids to be kind and compassionate to others very early. Around the age of 11 - 14 life skills need to be imparted. Sleep and gadget hygiene needs to be stressed too. Teachers need to transact life, subject matter and wellness. There should be at least one psychologist for 400 students and an equal number of special educators. Kids , in love and enduring break ups need to receive special focus. An active Parent Teacher Association is a must where some parents and all teachers need to be trained to be mental health soldiers. ‘There are many guys living for and no guys worth dying for’, ‘ Never Die for a Guy’ can be themes for group discussions in classrooms. School narratives should also revolve around mental health. A ‘khabri’ system where students immediately report about distressed peers and those who talk about death and dying is a must.
Managing Illness:
All those who are ill need to be handled with care. Age of the first episode of mental illness has gone down to as much as 6-8 years. Both mental and physical illness should not be viewed with suspicion. Mental illness may not be visible to teachers or parents and when in doubt seek an opinion from a Psychiatrist. All kids who have a fracture of the mind ( Depression ) should reach a doctor early. Schools should not threaten children with the baton of minimum 75 % attendance. The school head has enough powers to condone the same as Mental illness is one of he 21 disabilities mentioned in the law.
Happy Schools & Examinations:
Very few parents going to Parent teacher meetings check ‘whether their child is happy in the classroom’. The obsession for grades destroys the self esteem of children and a few cannot survive the stress. All parents who are dancing with joy over their wards 90+ % in the tenth fail to understand that tenth is not a milestone but a stone with many miles to go. 90 + does not make one a hero and 50 + does not make a student to be a zero. Most of the school tests do not track abilities.
Many deaths due to self harm especially by a fall are recorded as accidental deaths when the cops do not get a suicide note or when parents do not report it. Friends focus on your families , the kids will do well ! Schools focus on happiness , rest will fall in place. !
(The author is a noted psychiatrist of Mumbai with vast experience working among the youth)