'Family counselling centres must to check suicides'

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 29. There was an urgent need to set up more family counselling centres in the State with psychologists and psychiatrists trained in detecting suicidal tendencies in people, Dr. Alexander Jacob, former director of the State Women's Commission, has said.

Speaking at a symposium on the phenomenon of increasing family suicides in the State, organised by Sthree Sabdam magazine, he pointed out that the State had the largest number of suicides in the country, with 34 in one lakh people committing suicide every year. With only one-fourth of incidents being reported, the actual number of suicides was four times more than that, he said.

In the State, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Palakkad recorded the maximum number of suicides. While individual suicides were more in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur was at the top when it came to family suicides. In the year 2000, 10,168 people had committed suicide in the State, including 22 cases of family suicides.

Depression and mental agony afflicted by some incurable diseases, impotency and skin diseases were found to be the predominant reason for suicides in Kerala, Dr. Alexander Jacob said.

He pointed out that training should be given to certain sections of people in society - doctors, teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, police, lawyers and bankers - who could play a significant role in bringing down the number of suicides.

Teachers, especially, should watch out for any behavioural changes or signs of depression in children and interact with them, he said.

Dr. Suraraj Mani, psychiatrist, pointed out that while depression was a sure sign of suicidal tendencies, not even 10 per cent of such cases were being detected or reported on time. Depression should be treated like any other illness without delay, he said.

He felt that the sensational manner in which media reported suicides could push or make up the mind for someone with suicidal tendencies, to commit the act. In most cases of depression, a good listener, one who could put himself in the shoes of the other person and give a sympathetic hearing, could prevent the other from committing suicide.

The inability to cope in a rapidly changing socio-cultural environment and lack of adequate support systems within family and society were primarily responsible for suicides. In the age of consumerism, it was important that parents set up good value systems for their children to follow, he felt.

He suggested that some kind of supportive mechanism should be started at the panchayat-level itself to help families trying to recover from the trauma of suicide committed by one of its members.

The other common reasons for suicides in the State were huge financial burdens and debts, mental diseases like depression or schizophrenia, unemployment, failed love affairs and failure in examinations, in that order.

Though one-third of the actual suicides in the State were committed by women, the number of women who attempted suicide were thrice as much, he pointed out. With over one lakh divorce cases filed in family courts in the State in 1999 alone, deteriorating family relations was also another prominent factor contributing to suicides here, Dr. Jacob said.

Political and social instability, migration and the sensational manner in which suicide was portrayed by media, books and other fictional material were also responsible for the increasing number of suicides.

Earlier, inaugurating the symposium, the chairperson of the State Women's Commission, Ms. Justice D. Sreedevi, said that free counselling services should be made easily available to the public so that many, only too willing to give up life, could be given new hopes. She also advised women to take care of their families through careful financial planning and avoiding extravagant lifestyles.

Ms. P.K. Srimathy, MLA, presided. Dr. Elizabeth Vadakkekkara, coordinator, Thraani and Dr. N.M. Mohammedali, psychiatrist, were among those who spoke on the occasion.

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Section  : Southern States
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