Tripura tops after Sikkim in Northeast in suicide index

AGARTALA: Tripura emerged as top among seven states of the Northeast in the suicide index, which is more than the national average, said senior Psychiatrist of the state Dr P J Chakma on Tuesday while addressing a rally as part of the celebration of World Suicide Day.
Dr Chakma said the latest data from the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) revealed that around 17 per cent of cases of suicide have been registered in Tripura against 12 per cent at the national level.However, Sikkim has recorded the highest number of suicides in the country at 43.1 per cent followed by Andaman and Nicobar Island, Puducherry, and Kerala.
He said the suicide data was available up to 2022 which shows after Tripura in the region, Mizoram has recorded 12.4 per cent, Assam 9.4 per cent, Meghalaya 6.4 per cent, Nagaland 2.2 per cent, and Manipur 0.8 per cent. On the other, Bihar registered the lowest suicide case in the country at 0.6 per cent.
“The study shows that the social causes and economic issues are mainly responsible for the increasing trend of suicide in Tripura. In some cases, emotional setbacks, frustration, and other indulgences influenced suicide, as the incidences occurred in the age group 18-35 years,” Dr Chakma, an Assistant Professor at Agartala Govt Medical College underlined.
Anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, disruptive behaviour, dissocial disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders are the common causes of suicide across India and Tripura has no difference, he stated, adding that the Indian Psychiatric Society, Tripura branch has been working on generating awareness on mental health among masses.