The silent epidemic: High suicide rates in Nepal expose the lack of mental healthcare facilities in the country

Going by World Health Organisation (WHO) data, Nepal ranks very high in suicide rates, with 15 people taking their lives every day, on average. The country ranks seventh in the world for suicide rates and also ranks third for suicide rates among women between the reproductive age of 15-49 years. With 24.9 suicides recorded per 100,000 people in 2012, the last year for which comprehensive WHO statistics are available, Nepal has the second-highest rate in Southasia, with only Sri Lanka having a higher rate at 28.8. Studies have also found that attempted suicides are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicides.

Social stigma, lack of awareness and discrimination against those suffering from mental illness are detrimental to addressing the crisis. Inadequate research and reporting makes it even more difficult for mental healthcare providers to reach out to those in need. In fact, when a suicide does make headlines, it is often in the form of a sensationalised news item on a freak event. When a Grade 10 student in Sunsari district in eastern Nepal took her life after her favourite football team, Brazil, lost to Germany in the 2014 World Cup, it was seen as an odd occurrence. The story was played up more for its shock value than as a pointer to a wider societal issue. This kind of coverage that promotes sensationalism without any reference to underlying causes is counter-productive to efforts to address the high suicide rate in Nepal.