October 10 is the World Mental Health Day (October 10). World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. This day should be celebrated with open discussion on mental disorders, its prevention and treatment.

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. A suicide attempt is made every 4 minutes in India.

“If we take the population size between 15 and 29 years, we have four suicide attempts per minute in India. Everything has changed, from the lethality of methods used to the reasons – urban areas have terribly gone wrong in reading the young minds,” Sunil Mittal, senior consultant, psychiatry and psychotherapy at the Delhi Psychiatry Centre, told IANS.

Reasons for suicide attempt made by youngs could be anything from broken relationship to financial crisis which causes depression and anxiety disorder. More than 17,500 farmers a year killed themselves between 2002 and 2006. The plurality of suicides (37.8%) in India are by those below the age of 30 years, and 71% of suicides in India are by persons below the age of 44 years. This imposes a huge social, emotional and economic burden.

“Suicide comes later. Before that, there is a lot playing in the head of any person with suicidal tendencies. For women, emotional reasons count more, but for men it is the financial world and dependent family that could be the reason,” Mittal explained.

Experts blame the communication gap and better lifestyle that the youngsters are leading for suicides in a section of society.

If someone tells you that he/she is thinking about suicide, you should take it seriously, listen nonjudgmentally, and help him in coping the suicidal situation. People consider suicide when they are hopeless and unable to see alternative solutions to problems.