31 children died by suicide daily in 2020; COVID-19 blamed
An average of 31 children died by suicide in India every day in 2020, according to the data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), marking a significant rise from the preceding years. Experts say the coronavirus pandemic may have increased psychological stress faced by children in the country. Here are more details on this.
Why does it matter?
The latest data from the NCRB highlights the toll the pandemic has taken on the mental health of children in India. Experts have feared for months that the health crisis has led to an increase in mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression. A study conducted last year had revealed that deaths among mental health patients increased as compared to the general population.
11,396 children died by suicide last year
According to the NCRB data, as many as 11,396 children died by suicide last year, marking an 18% increase from 9,613 such deaths in the previous year. There were 9,413 suicide cases among children in 2018, as per the records. The major causes cited by the agency are "family problems" (4,006 deaths) followed by "love affair" (1,337) and illness (1,327).
Other causes of suicide in children
Other reasons behind suicide among children include ideological factors or hero-worshipping, unemployment, bankruptcy, impotency or infertility, and drug abuse, news agency PTI reported citing NCRB's data.
'A systemic failure'
Prabhat Kumar, Deputy Director of Child Protection, Save the Children, called it a "systemic failure." "While we as a society are cognizant of tangibles such as education and physical health for building national human capital, emotional well-being or psycho-social support often take a back seat," he said, adding that immediate attention should be paid to the stigma attached to mental health.
Experts blame school closures amid the pandemic
"Children have gone through tremendous emotional stress and trauma due to home confinement and lack of interaction with friends, teachers or any other person in the position of trust due to prolonged closure of schools and limited social interactions," said Priti Mahara of CRY-Child Rights and You. Many children also struggled with attending online classes due to poverty and the digital divide, she added.
