Assam witnessed a rise in suicide cases in 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown are some of the major causes of suicide in Assam during 2020.

"Records and data available with various police stations across the State have estimated more than 200 cases of unnatural death in 2020. The prime reason for such deaths was the Covid driven lockdown. Most of those committed suicide had lost their jobs and livelihood. But the unofficial figures of suicide will be much more," a source in the Assam Police said.

The report published by the Nation Crime Reports Bureau (NCRB) in 2020 has revealed that altogether 2370 committed suicides in 2019. The figure was 2379 in 2018.

"Family problems, love affair and marriage related issues are major causes of suicide in Assam during 2019," the source said. According to the NCRB report family problems are responsible for 25.94% suicides in Assam in 2019 followed by love affair (15.69%), property dispute (11.77%), marriage related issues (10.21%), unemployment (6.54%), illness (6.6%), failure in examination (4.3 per cent) and drug abuse or addiction (3.8%). "The pandemic and lockdown were the new causes of suicide in 2020," the source said.

Even though the rate of suicide in Assam (6.9%) is below the national average rate (10.4%), mental health experts said the scene in the State is a matter of serious concern. Suicide rate means number of suicides per lakh population. Clinical psychiatrists at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital said much suicide cases might have gone unreported in Assam.

On other hand Sikkim and Tripura has the highest suicide rates in the North East in 2019. While Sikkim ranked first with 33.1 per, Tripura reported 18.2 per cent of cases. The NCRB report also said that the two States surpassed the national level suicide rate that stands at 10.4 percent in 2019.

"Over 1, 00,000 people commit suicide in our country in a year. There are various causes of suicides like professional/career problems, sense of isolation, abuse, violence, family problems, mental disorders, addiction to alcohol, financial loss, chronic pain etc. Now we have to study the new causes—Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown and loss of employment," a psychiatrist at GMCH said.

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