Suicide in Pakistan

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Suicide in Pakistan is a major public health issue.

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Comparison

Pakistan's suicide rate is below the worldwide average. The 2015 global rate was 9.5 per 100,000 people [1] Suicides represent some 0.9% of all deaths.

Pakistan's death rate, as given by the World Bank, is 7.28 per 1000 people in 2015. In 2015, the suicide rate in Pakistan was approximately 9 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, slightly below the global average. [2] Similarly, suicides represent 0.9% of all deaths. Pakistan's healthcare system is fragile, and mental health resources are severely limited. Consequently, the country has witnessed a disturbing surge in suicide rates over the past few years, as highlighted by numerous reports. [3]

Culture

Diagnosing and covering suicide cases is generally difficult due to social stigma and legal issues that envelop the problem. Suicide is prohibited in Islam. Various obstacles restrict open discussion of the phenomenon. [4]

Attempting suicide used to be a criminal offence under the Pakistan Penal Code, with punitive laws imposed for attempted suicide punishable by a fine of Rs10,000 and/or imprisonment. However, there was an amendment in 2022 which decriminalized attempted suicide. [5]

National suicide statistics are not compiled on a formal level nor officially reported to the World Health Organization. Unofficial data is neglected and subject to underreporting. [6] While suicide patterns have traditionally been low, the rate has increased steeply.[ citation needed ]

One analysis of suicide reports over a period of two years, showed over 300 suicide deaths in Pakistan in 35 different cities. [4] The findings showed that males outnumber females by a 2:1 rate, and that the majority of male suicides tended to be unmarried; the rate for females is the opposite. Research indicated that the majority of female suicides were under age 30 and that "domestic problems" were the main stated reason. [4] These include unemployment, health issues, poverty, homelessness, family disputes, depression and a range of social pressures.

Hanging, use of insecticides, and firearms are the most common methods for carrying out suicide in Pakistan. [7] [ self-published source? ]

Related Research Articles

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people in the United States from the ages of 9 to 56.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide by jumping from height</span> Suicide method

Jumping from a dangerous location, such as from a high window, balcony, or roof, or from a cliff, dam, or bridge, is an often used suicide method. The 2023 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for jumping from a high place is X80*, and this method of suicide is also known clinically as autokabalesis. Many countries have noted suicide bridges such as the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. Other well known suicide sites for jumping include the Eiffel Tower and Niagara Falls. Nonfatal attempts in these situations can have severe consequences including paralysis, organ damage, and broken bones.

There are more than 700,000 estimated suicide deaths every year. Suicide affects every demographic, yet there are some populations that are more impacted than others. For example, among 15-29 year olds, suicide is much more prominent; this being the fourth leading cause of death within this age group.

Dowry deaths are deaths of married women who are murdered or driven to suicide over disputes about dowry. Dowry deaths are found predominantly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide</span> Intentional act of causing ones own death

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse are risk factors. Some suicides are impulsive acts due to stress, relationship problems, or harassment and bullying. Those who have previously attempted suicide are at a higher risk for future attempts. Effective suicide prevention efforts include limiting access to methods of suicide such as firearms, drugs, and poisons; treating mental disorders and substance abuse; careful media reporting about suicide; and improving economic conditions. Although crisis hotlines are common resources, their effectiveness has not been well studied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender differences in suicide</span>

Gender differences in suicide rates have been shown to be significant. There are different rates of suicides and suicidal behavior between males and females. While females more often have suicidal thoughts, males die by suicide more frequently. This discrepancy is also known as the gender paradox in suicide.

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is an awareness day always observed on 10 September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around the world since 2003. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) to host World Suicide Prevention Day. In 2011 an estimated 40 countries held awareness events to mark the occasion. According to WHO's Mental Health Atlas released in 2014, no low-income country reported having a national suicide prevention strategy, while less than 10% of lower-middle income countries, and almost a third of upper-middle and high-income countries had.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide in the United States</span> Statistics and causes of suicide in the U.S.

Suicide is a major national public health issue in the United States. The country has one of the highest suicide rates among wealthy nations. In 2020, there were 45,799 recorded suicides, up from 42,773 in 2014, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). On average, adjusted for age, the annual U.S. suicide rate increased 30% between 2000 and 2020, from 10.4 to 13.5 suicides per 100,000 people. In 2018, 14.2 people per 100,000 died by suicide, the highest rate recorded in more than 30 years. Due to the stigma surrounding suicide, it is suspected that suicide is generally underreported. In April 2016, the CDC released data showing that the suicide rate in the United States had hit a 30-year high, and later in June 2018, released further data showing that the rate has continued to increase and has increased in every U.S. state except Nevada since 1999. From 2000 to 2020, more than 800,000 people died by suicide in the United States, with males representing 78.7% of all suicides that happened between 2000 and 2020. In 2022, around 49,500 people died by suicide according to the CDC, which is the highest number ever recorded. Surging death rates from suicide, drug overdoses and alcoholism, what researchers refer to as "deaths of despair", are largely responsible for a consecutive three year decline of life expectancy in the U.S. This constitutes the first three-year drop in life expectancy in the U.S. since the years 1915–1918.

China's suicide rates were one of the highest in the world in the 1990s. However, by 2011, China had one of the lowest suicide rates in the world. According to the World Health Organization, the suicide rate in China was 9.7 per 100,000 as of 2016. As a comparison, the suicide rate in the U.S. in 2016 was 15.3. Generally speaking, China seems to have a lower suicide rate than neighboring Korea, Russia and Japan, and it is more common among women than men and more common in the Yangtze Basin than elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide in India</span> Statistics and causes of suicide in India

About 800,000 people die by suicide worldwide every year. 164,033 Indians committed suicide in 2021 and the national suicide rate was 12, which is the highest rate of deaths from suicides since 1967, which is the earliest recorded year for this data. According to The World Health Organization, in India, suicide is an emerging and serious public health issue.

A suicide attempt is an act in which an individual tries to kill themselves but survives. While it may be described as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, mental health professionals discourage the use of these terms as they imply that a suicide resulting in death is a successful or desirable outcome.

Researchers study Social media and suicide to find if a correlation exists between the two. Some research has shown that there may be a correlation.

Suicide and the Internet have increasingly important relationships as Internet use becomes more ubiquitous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide in Canada</span>

According to the latest available data, Statistics Canada estimates 4,157 suicides took place in Canada in 2017, making it the 9th leading cause of death, between Alzheimer's disease (8th) and cirrhosis and other liver diseases (10th). In 2009, there were an estimated 3,890 suicide deaths.

Suicide in Guyana is a serious social problem, as Guyana is ranked worst in suicides per capita worldwide among sovereign nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide in the United Kingdom</span> Statistics and causes of suicide in the UK (England and Wales figures only)

Suicide is a significant national social issue in the United Kingdom. In 2019 there were 5,691 registered deaths by suicide in England and Wales, equating to an average of 18 suicides per day. Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the country.

In colleges and universities in the United States, suicide is one of the most common causes of death among students. Each year, approximately 24,000 college students attempt suicide while 1,100 students succeed in their attempt, making suicide the second-leading cause of death among U.S. college students. Roughly 12% of college students report the occurrence of suicide ideation during their first four years in college, with 2.6% percent reporting persistent suicide ideation. 65% of college students reported that they knew someone who has either attempted or died by suicide, showing that the majority of students on college campuses are exposed to suicide or suicidal attempts.

Suicide is a significant social issue in Afghanistan.

Youth suicide in India is when young Indian people deliberately end their own life. People aged 15 to 24 years have the highest suicide rate in India, which is consistent with international trends in youth suicide. 35% of recorded suicides in India occur in this age group. Risk factors and methods of youth suicide differ from those in other age groups.

References

  1. {{Cite web|url=https://www.https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.SUIC.P5
  2. "Pakistan Death rate - data, chart". TheGlobalEconomy.com. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  3. "Suicide Rate Increasing In Pakistan". The Friday Times. 2023-02-12. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  4. 1 2 3 Khan, Murad Moosa; Reza, Hashim (2000). "The pattern of suicide in Pakistan". Crisis. 21 (1): 31–5. doi:10.1027/0227-5910.21.1.31. PMID   10793469.
  5. "Pakistan abolishes colonial-era law that punishes attempted suicide: Report". Hindustan Times. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  6. Khan, Murad Moosa (1998). "Suicide and attempted suicide in Pakistan". Crisis. 19 (4): 172–6. doi:10.1027/0227-5910.19.4.172. PMID   10331315.
  7. Hassan, Sohaib (February 27, 2009). "Suicide Prevention in Pakistan". Chowk.com . Archived from the original on September 22, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2011.