The triple suicide of three sisters in Ghaziabad is shocking and extremely tragic. It highlights the disturbing reality that the youth in India have one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. It is double that of the global average, and among young Indian women, it is almost six times that of the global average.
The three sisters - aged 12, 14 and 16 - died after jumping from the ninth floor of their apartment in Ghaziabad early Wednesday morning. Their parents later found an eight-page note in a pocket diary, in which the girls expressed their deep admiration for Korean culture and accused their parents of trying to force them to give up what they described as their emotional refuge.
Completed suicide and suicidal behaviours are a culmination of multiple factors coming together after months, and sometimes years, of emotional turmoil and distress. The common contributors are academic stress and exam failure, turbulent family atmosphere, unstable peer relationships, breakdown of romantic relationships, poverty and financial loss, sexual abuse, drug abuse and social contagion.
For every completed suicide, there are at least 15 young people who attempt suicide, highlighting the scale of the crisis.
Social media, online gaming, and imitation can be a powerful trigger in young people who are already emotionally disturbed. Such influences can increase risk-taking behaviours and impulsivity, leading to extreme steps taken by them.
It is vital to understand the various causes and trajectories of self-harm and suicidal behaviours so that we can prevent them much before they become a crisis. It is also important to know the early signs of emotional distress and expressions of suicidal behaviours, which can take the form of suicidal thoughts and/or deliberate self-harm not amounting to death.
Too often, a suicidal attempt is dismissed as attention-seeking behaviour, and the young person is admonished for a so-called “selfish” attitude. This only serves to push the young person away into isolation and despair. It is crucial to remember that each subsequent attempt is likely to be more serious, perhaps lethal.
Focusing only on social media, internet gaming and content will limit our understanding of a phenomenon that is much more complex. Just as we see in this tragic incident, where the girls took to watching Korean drama and K-pop due to many apparent reasons such as an unusual family structure, harsh parenting, academic difficulties, not going to school, social isolation and abject loneliness. They found an emotional connection and solace in the virtual world, as there were no options in the real world.
Banning or restricting social media in young people can solve only part of the problem. They need to have alternative spaces and activities to fulfil their social and emotional needs, to have meaningful connections in the real world and a sense of purpose to achieve what they aspire to. They also need emotionally safe spaces to share and express themselves without fear of judgment or punishment.
Parents, teachers and other caring adults need to spend time with children and take an interest in their world in ways that matter to them. They should develop the capacity to listen with compassion, without jumping to conclusions or passing judgment.
We need to take collective responsibility to address this national crisis that threatens to disrupt the dreams of a generation that has the potential to change our world for the better. The state and its policies, parents, schools and educational institutions, legal systems and the police, all need to come together to enable emotional well-being and positive mental health for our children and youth.
(The author is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the co-founder and director of Children First)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
