Risk factors for suicide in rural areas and strategies for prevention

Suicide death rates in India are among the highest reported from any country. Suicide rates are much higher in rural areas, and in the southern states of the country. This is an important public health issue among rural communities. Suicide is a complex human behavior and a number of factors are associated with the risk of suicide. Review of research studies on rural suicide make it clear that various social, economic, psychological, environmental and biological factors lead to suicides.

Recent reports in newspapers and magazines reveal that suicide is no more an individual or a group problem but assumes to be a national problem. A nation with a higher percentage of suicide cannot be considered healthy. At present, suicide has acquired a status of social phenomenon as the suicide rate has been on increase during the past few decades. A higher suicide rate poses an urgent necessity to study and assess the magnitude of the problem. The present paper offers an account of various risk factors of suicide in rural society and important strategies for suicide prevention. The information given in this paper is based on the related literature available from various sources like Research Journals, Newspapers and published books.