The news of four friends who entered a suicide pact was Tsplashed on the front page of several newspapers. Three of them lost their lives. They were just students of standard 10. Such incidents stare us in face everyday as we tune into the news channels or flip through our newspapers. th 10 standard students committing suicide! Is it not strange that people at this young age decide to take away their lives? What must have gone wrong is the most obvious question everyone seems to ask? This interest is but short-lived. How many of us give such incidents a second thought? We only think of it when our own kith and kin are involved. September 10 is observed as the World Suicide Prevention Day. It is sad but true that this day hardly signifies anything for most of us. Suicides are increasing at an alarming rate. In the last 45 years, the rates have increased 60 per cent worldwide. In India the scenario is no different. Every five minutes a person commits suicide. It is estimated that fatalities worldwide could rise up to 1.5 million by 2020. According to the World Health Organization more people die worldwide due to suicides than from homicides and wars put together every year. Twenty times more is the rate of attempted suicides. All these figures are merely a part of the horrifying scenario. The age group is which is most prone to commit suicide is much more stunning. Suicides are mostly attempted by people between 18 and 45 years. Needless to say this is the most productive span of human life. It also results in the loss of millions of dollars every year. Suicidal tendencies often have their roots in psychological problems such as depression. According to Ms. Jahnavi M.G., a student counselor, it takes 5-10 seconds for a person to actually commit suicide. “If at that moment somehow he ponders over it for another second, they will never do the act,” she adds. In view of the number of suicides committed and attempted by the A Socio -Psychological Plague Suicide students, counseling has become very important. “Psychological tests can help to identify the hidden aspects of a person's behaviour. Once suicidal tendencies are identified, proper counselling can be administered.” This she claims will help in bringing down the suicide rates. Psychological reasons do exist but often the sociological causes are overshadowed by them. More than just being a psychological disturbance suicides must be seen in the sociopsychological light. The reasons that are cited for suicides often barely scratch the surface. They can be compared to icebergs of which only a part is visible. Several factors are at play when a person commits suicide. It is just that one among them is prominent. Prominent among the sociological reasons is poverty which drives several people to take extreme measures. The suicides by farmers in India and other developing countries are living proofs. Not only this, young women often commit suicide because of social evils such as dowry. From their point of view their lives are a burden for their parents. Victims of sexual harassments are so much victimized by the society that they end up taking their own lives fearing social repercussions. Suicides committed by the students are also sometimes perpetuated by social factors. The age old practice of ragging on campuses is an example. Recently a student of Midwifery and Nursing at a private college in Bangalore attempted GCC World, October 2007 33 We Care to commit suicide after being ragged and beaten by his seniors. This incident did not receive much media attention, nevertheless these are dangerous trends. Ragging often leaves a person's psyche mutilated and paves way for disastrous consequences. Failure to perform well in examinations is also a large contributor towards suicide committed by students. In December 2006, a student of B.Tech at the Powai campus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) committed suicide. The reason was attributed the average grades he was securing. We tend to blame such people for their inability to cope with pressures, but hardly spare a thought for the origin of these pressures. When a student fails in an examination, the failure is not the sole cause. A bigger cause is the dread that he or she feels in facing a society that has over hyped academic achievement as the only criterion for success. While focusing on the psychological aspect of suicides, we ignore the social stigmas that act as catalysts for suicides. All this conveys the magnitude of the problem. Stress management and counselling can help but these are not enough. In order to bring down the suicide rates we require more comprehensive and conscious efforts. Suicide is treated as a taboo in our society. This prevents a person on the verge of committing suicide to be open. He or she refrains to discuss the mental turmoil within. This goes on to show that the society needs to be more sensitive and less sarcastic; more bent towards healing victims than treating them as outcastes. There is an urgent need to undo the taboos that have been put in place due to societal norms. As taboos fall apart people will become more open to talk and discuss, releasing their stress in the process. It is needless to say that mounting modern day pressures coupled with societal attitudes have presented us with a full blown problem. It is a plague that has gripped the developing and the developed countries alike. For most of us, suicide prevention is none of our business. This is where we have erred. Preventing people from committing suicide is the business of each and every one of us. All of us can give a helping hand by identifying common suicidal symptoms and taking steps accordingly. The task though not easy is definitely worth a try. Suicidal Symptoms · Talks of committing suicides. · Long spells of silence/ moodiness. · Has already made an attempt to commit suicide. · Loss of interest in activities that were formerly pleasurable. · Symptoms of depression. · Giving away possession and settling accounts. · Poor eye contact. · Long spells of silence What you can do: · Try to talk openly. · Be supportive but do not act shocked. · Take help from agencies specialized in the area. · Remove dangerous weapons or objects that can be used for the purpose · Do not leave the person alone · Seek immediate medical aid for actively suicidal person. Anumeha Verma MS (Communication)