Youths' suicidal tendencies: Causes and solution

One of the very reasons that strained me to comprehend over Suicidal tendencies is the increasing suicide cases in my society. Within a short span of two years three consecutive cases has occurred where every time the girls of age 19 to 22 has dare to take such a fatal step. Moreover, two of them being my cousins has indeed dragged my attention closer. It was just yesterday we have finished with the funeral ceremony and I heard numerous assumptions being made by the people attending the funeral. Some felt that it was because some evil force that had possessed the diseased soul, some felt it to be the 'Karma' of previous life or the result of the deeds of her parents, while some considered it to be a curse on the family. However, the most rational one was that, it was because of some unbalanced love affair she was undergoing.
There are numerous suicidal cases that have occurred all over the world, but it is reported to have occurred most frequently in Sikkim. Suicidal cases, though, has set a firm grip in Sikkim but it has been apparently ignored by our society and the Government.
I was fortunate to come across this article which provides us a comprehensive insight into the crisis prevalent among our youth and facilitates us further to comprehend over the matter.
Here are some opinions on the issue.

DR RITA Agarwal, a psychologist and the director of Tears (an institute for mentally retarded children) opines that the high expectations of the parents and the society are one of the major reasons of growing number of suicides among the students. She states that the problem begins at the level of parents as they hold high expectations from their children without to understanding their mental calibre. They overload their children with unbearable responsibilities and commitments. It becomes an obligation to fulfill the desires of their parents. As a result of this, the child lives under constant pressure.
The high expectations of the parents make them emotionally weak and insecure and the child loses the mental balance to overcome the problems. He lives in a constant fear of failure and this horror increases with the parents’ expectations. Gradually, when the child sees that he is failing in his efforts to fulfill the expectations of the parents’ and the society, it becomes tough for him to face them and as a consequence, he chooses death in order to let himself free and escape all the troubles of life.
So it is the responsibility of the parents to take care of their children and understand their emotions. Sometimes, this also leads to psychological problems like depression and hypertension. The problem could be surmounted with the joint efforts of the family, teachers and the close friends. But the role of the parents is most important because if they are able to understand the interest of their children, then such a problem may never arise.
Parents should seek career guidance to understand the aptitude of their children. There is no harm in taking the psychological tests and they should go for tests like aptitude tests and standard psychological tests to identify the IQ level of the students. If possible, parents should also take the help of family counselling to understand their children. Parents should understand that they play an important part in the lives of their children and therefore they should try to understand their needs and interests.
Attitude of admiration and acceptance.
Dr Seema Dixit, personal counsellor of St Conrads College, Agra, opines that the increasing number of suicides among the students is due to numerous reasons. She states that student’s can’t be blamed for poor academic performance. In fact, some parents think that it is the responsibility of their children to make them proud with their achievements. But they fail to understand that parents too have the responsibility to make their children proud by providing them with the best possible facilities.
Parents play an important role in the overall development of children. This is because they are the ones, who act as role models for their children. So its the parents, who actually make or break their children.
Sometimes, parents force their children to take up the career of their choice rather than the child’s. But they fail to realise that career is the result of one’s attitude, capacity, IQ, aptitude, and interest and it is the duty of the parents to understand this and make their children choose a career of their choice. Thus, one of the reasons behind the increasing number of suicide cases is the ignorance and indifferent attitude of the parents. Because of this parental attitude, children indulge in the company of bad friends thereby ruining their personal as well as professional life. Later, they feel that the only option left with them is to commit suicide.

It is the duty of the parents to provide them quality time and they should have an attitude of acceptance and admiration. Parents should learn to appreciate their children and never make a mistake of comparing them with other children as this can create an inferiority complex in the child. Parents should try to encourage their child’s faith in God, so that he may regard this body as the temple of god and that we have to live for god’s sake. The most important thing is that parents should always keep a note of their child’s activities
Teachers should be impartial.
NS Chauhan, senior lecturer of St Patrick’s Junior College, states that the problem of suicide has become a major problem among the students of almost all age groups. Earlier, these problems were common among the students, who failed to perform well in the competitive exams. But with the passing of time, this problem is becoming common even among the school going students. One cannot deny the fact that sometimes, these problems occur because of the environment in which the child seeks education.
There’s an increasing trend of suicide cases amongst the school going children. In school there are students with different IQ levels and often a weak student finds it difficult to meet the set standards of the intelligent ones. Another major reason is the partial attitude of teachers towards the students.
Sometimes, the a teacher’s attitude towards a student is guided by the social, cultural, economical background of a child. Teachers often make a mistake of according more importance to some students. This results in a feeling of neglect among other students and they inculcate a feeling of inferiority. This ultimately leads to problems like depression and tension and life seems a dull and aimless affair to them.
These problems need a solution and the key to these problems lie in the hands of the teachers. They should try to understand the needs of a child and hold an attitude of equality towards each and every child. They should give equal opportunities to all the students irrespective of their backgrounds. It’s the responsibility of the school to keep a watch on the attitude of a child and report to the parents about the psyche of the disturbed child. Apart from this a child needs an overall development and therefore it’s the duty of the school to organise events that may help achild to showcase his talents. Schools should make an attempt to enhance the hidden talents of the students.
Its time for the teachers to realise that they play a vital role in the life of a student and they are the inspiration of a child and therefore they should be unbiased in their treatment.
Proper purgation of emotions.
Suicidal cases show a normal probability curve, which shoots up as soon as the results are announced, says Neharika Sethi, a student These days, suicide has become a trend among youngsters either to escape the circumstances or the parental expectations. Every year, this number is increasing and apart from parental reasons and circumstances, there is something more about the victim, something that’s within the person, she explains.
When one misses the inner zeal to live, it makes a person to commit suicide. The reason can be anything from poor result to love affairs among youths. The pressure of problems stops the proper purgation of the emotions of these people, which leads to a psychological imbalance, which finally leads to mental frustration. This may also lead to aggression and hypertension, all of this then leads to hypersensitivity and forces the person to develop suicidal tendencies. The situation is really pathetic and does need a lot of initiation. Movies like Tare Zameen Par are a good step address the issue. Regular psychological counselling and education sessions should be conducted in schools to help eradicate this sin, she opined.
Parental fear forces such actions.
Dr Amitabh Chauhan (former emergency medical officer of district hospital Agra) states that doctors come across many cases where the youths make an attempt to end their lives. The major reason behind such violent actions of youths is the treatment that children get in their respective families. Many a times doctors come across cases where the parents fail to tell the circumstances which, lead their children to take such extreme step. This simply reflects the pitiable parent-child relationship. In such cases, parents fail to understand the needs and requirements of their child and in such circumstances the child starts getting away from his parents that forces them to take such actions.
Another reason behind suicide attempts is the strict attitude of parents towards their wards. They think that austere behaviour is the only alternative to protect their children and make them a good human being. But when the child fails to fulfill their hopes, he tries to take his life. Parents need to understand the needs of their children and should play the role of a friend to understands their inner feelings and share their joys and sorrows.
Hence it is evident that many of us have to revive our outlook towards suicide cases. It is the responsibility of every individual of the society to direct our youth towards right direction, to guide them every time they falter. Above all, anyone suffering from Suicidal tendencies requires to be treated with our love and concern rather than ignorance and suspicion.