“A report by the National Human Rights Commission of India on May 21, 2004, pointed out that 20,000 people have attempted to die by suicide in the 14 years in Kashmir, from 1990 to 2004. Of these, 3,000 attempts resulted in death, mostly among those aged 16 to 25.”
Sheikh Mustafa
BARAMULLA: Sheikh Sahir (Name chnaged) has endured the unimaginable weight of losing two close beloved family members within a year to suicide.
“In the blink of an eye, in 2002, I lost my uncle and a cousin, both in their twenties,” he recounts. Sahir and his family grappled with a double dose of tragedy
Sahir’s uncle battled depression and family problems, while his cousin’s aggressive nature stemmed from personality disorders, he says. Sahir’s uncle struggled with depression, a darkness compounded by personal problems.
“My 25-year-old maternal uncle was handsome, the beauty of his face a mask for the turmoil within. Though he was working at the Bakery (Nanwai) in Sheerwani Pora, he had started becoming a social recluse – retreating to his room most of the time or seeking solitude in quiet corners. Or else, he would seek solace in music. One day, he suddenly died after consuming poison and left my grandmother (his mother) distraught,” Sahir says.
The grief was compounded as Sahir’s cousin descended deeper into despair after this incident.
“My cousin, about 29 years old, was an introvert, unlike his other siblings, and of quiet disposition, but sometimes there was aggression in his behaviour. He preferred solitude in his room,” Sahir explains and adds, “Within a year of our uncle’s suicide, my cousin also ended his life by hanging himself.”
“It was unbearable for all of us, especially my grandmother who is unable to make sense of these two tragedies – the loss of her son and grandson within a year. I fear she is plunging deeper into depression,” he says.
“They were so young ……and two decades since we are still unable to reconcile either with the loss or with the question – what made them take those drastic steps,” he says with a sigh.
Image generated by AI is representational.J&K tops the list in suicides
The twin tragedy underlines the silent crisis unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir, which accounts for 28 percent of suicides in India.
A National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) 2022 report, published in December 2023, highlights the grim reality of suicides in Kashmir. Out of a total of 1769 instances recorded by the Bureau nationwide, 497 suicide cases were reported from Jammu and Kashmir alone.
The Union Territory which grapples with the complex interplay of socioeconomic, political, and psychological factors has created a rising tide of mental health challenges that heighten the risk of suicides.
Though there has been a surge in mental health diseases and suicides in recent years, the problem has been aggravating for over three decades. Since the 1990s, the turmoil and violence made the atmosphere, particularly in Kashmir Valley, more conducive to suicides.
“Data suggests a worrying rise in mental health issues and suicides in Kashmir. However, experts point out that this crisis has roots extending back over three decades. They link the turmoil and violence since the 1990s to make an atmosphere, particularly in the Valley, more conducive to suicides. Experts also cite underlying health issues like anxiety, major depressive disorders, and drug addiction as related causes leading to a recent spike in suicide.”
A report by the National Human Rights Commission of India on May 21, 2004, pointed out that 20,000 people have attempted to die by suicide in the 14 years in Kashmir, from 1990 to 2004. Of these, 3,000 attempts resulted in death, mostly among those aged 16 to 25.
A study on suicide recorded an increase of more than 250% in the number of suicide attempts between 1994 and 2012.
A 2015 study called “Kashmir Mental Health Survey” conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières revealed that the suicide rate surged from 0.5 per 100,000 people before the insurgency to 13 per 100,000.
Crisis since 2020
Media reports and Jammu and Kashmir Police records indicate a surge in suicide attempts in 2021, with 586 cases reported compared to 472 in 2020. In 2020, despite the pandemic, over 450 suicides were reported, the highest in a decade, contributing to a total of 3,024 suicides from 2010 to 2020 in the valley.
State Disaster Response Force data from February 2021 to August 2022 also corroborates this trend, documenting 365 attempts and 127 deaths. Additionally, the male-to-female ratio of suicide victims in Kashmir was 73:27 in 2021, compared to 71:29 in 2020.
A Kashmir-based study in 2023 (A Study on Factors Influencing Youth to Commit Suicide in Kashmir) suggests that Covid may have contributed to the rise in suicides. It noted that social implications like unemployment, social isolation, family issues, failures in examination, relationship failures, increase in cultural change due to modernization are some of the contributors to the growing menace of suicide in Kashmir. Issues like unemployment and social isolation intersected with Covid, it explained, probably leading to a spike in suicides and suicide attempts.
Giving a district-wise breakup, it stated that highest number of suicide attempts since 2020 were reported from central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
| District/City | Suicide Attempts | Deaths |
| Budgam | 72 | 11 |
| Baramulla | 61 | 15 |
| Anantnag | 55 | 31 |
| Kupwara | 51 | 7 |
| Bandipora | 34 | 8 |
| Shopian | 19 | 9 |
| Pulwama | 15 | 8 |
| Kulgam | 25 | 10 |
| Srinagar | 17 | 17 |
What drives suicides?
Clinical psychologist and Consultant Child Psychologist at Government Medical College Baramulla, Dr Mudasir Hassan identifies impulsive behaviour as one of the significant risk factors for suicide. He says that “most number of attempted suicides are impulsive in nature.”
Dr Mudasir elaborates, “Impulsive behaviour, that disables a person from considering the potential consequences of his/her actions, heightens risk of suicide. Individuals with higher levels of impulsivity are more likely to experience suicidal ideation and attempt suicide.
The case of a 15-year-old boy from Mayan Boniyar who took his life by suicide a year ago may have been a case of impulse.
The teenager was found hanging in his room. “He was a promising class 9th student,” his friend says, and adds, “Besides his studies, sometimes he could be seen in the bustling walnut Mandi (Market) working with his brother and father. Despite his tender age, he had a good business mind and an entrepreneurial spirit. He didn’t show any symptoms and nobody knows why he took that extreme step.”
Dr Mudasir explains that individuals with certain traits, such as impulsivity, emotional dysregulation and personality disorders like Borderline Personality Disorder, characterized by intense emotional swings and unstable relationships, may find it harder to cope with setbacks, increasing the likelihood of suicidal thoughts turning into actions.
He also identified genetics and a departure from traditional and cultural values as significant factors contributing to suicide.
Link between depression and suicide
Dr Mudasir also highlights the link between mental health conditions like emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and suicide, noting how chronic stress and worry can lead to feelings of helplessness. He mentions that in Kashmir, one in two individuals shows signs of depression.
Many of those driven to suicide include teenagers and youth, unable to deal with the challenges of studies, livelihood, or other pressures.
Tahira, a 23-year-old from Sopore in north Kashmir, dreamt of becoming a doctor. At the same time, she was conscious that her widowed mother, who had singlehandedly raised her, had to endure major financial hardship. Tahira took it upon herself to share that burden while pursuing her dream. Her relentless efforts to pass the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) were unsuccessful, and the burden became overwhelming.
In November 2022, Tahira tragically disappeared after attending her NEET tuition classes, and it is believed she ended her life by jumping into the Jhelum River. Her body was never recovered.
Jammu and Kashmir records a high prevalence of mental distress including depressions and anxiety. A Kashmir-based study in 2020 found that 45% of Kashmir’s adult population (1.8 million) was suffering from some form of mental distress. There is a high prevalence of depression (41%), anxiety (26%), post-traumatic stress disorder (19%), and 47% had experienced some sort of trauma.
The Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) in the valley’s major city, Srinagar, has observed a rise in outpatient presentations for mental health issues from an average of 100 per week in 1980 to between 200 and 300 per day in 2013. In addition, the number of suicide attempts increased by more than 250% between 1994 and 2012 and other studies report a high prevalence of traumatic experiences and associated symptoms of mental illness.
Dr Mudasir highlights depression’s common occurrence in schizophrenia, affecting 40% of patients. He links schizophrenia to suicide risk, influenced by genetics, neurochemistry, and environmental stressors. The Indian Journal of Psychiatry underscores schizophrenia’s association with suicidal tendencies, especially within the initial decade of diagnosis. The rate of suicide attempts in schizophrenia ranges from 20% to 40% with around 11% to 50% of patients having ideations at some point of their life, it mentioned.
Drugs and Depression A Dangerous Mix
Dr Mudasir also points out that anxiety can exacerbate feelings of hopelessness, worsening depression and potentially leading to harmful coping mechanisms like drug addiction, which further aggravates depression.
Mudasir stresses that “Opioids and other addictive substances can create a temporary high, but often lead to feelings of hopelessness and despair when the effects wear off. Overdose can be a tragic consequence of this cycle.”
This is worrying as there has been a phenomenal rise in drug addiction in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.
According to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 60,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir have been grappling with drug addiction since 2018, marking a substantial increase of 1,500 percent from 2018 to 2021.
There were 489 patients registered at IMHANS in 2016 which increased to 7,420 in 2019. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number fell by nearly half to 3,536 in 2020. In 2021, the number of patients rose to 13,500.
According to a recent news report, the main rehabilitation facility in Srinagar has seen a staggering 2660% increase in patients seeking treatment since 2016 primarily for heroin addiction.
According to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment data that was shared in the Lok Sabha, over 10 lakh people in J&K, which is 7.6 percent of the population, consume various kinds of drugs. This means one in every thirteen persons is consuming drugs.
“In the 10-17 years age group, approximately 1,68,700 are drug users in Jammu and Kashmir,” said a report of the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment in August 2023. The report found out that these children are consuming substances such as cannabis, opioids, sedatives, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants, and hallucinogens, as well as taking inhalants. The majority prefer opioids and inhalants, while sedatives and cannabis are quite common too.
In the 18-75 age group, there are 11,80,000 drug users in Jammu and Kashmir, the Standing Committee informed Parliament. They are primarily addicted to opioids, followed by cannabis, sedatives, and inhalants.
It is estimated that 1,08,000 males and 36,000 females use Cannabis, 5,34,000 males and 8,000 females consume Opioids, and 1,60,000 males and 8,000 females use sedatives of different kinds.
Social Stigma and ignorance
Underscoring the importance of timely intervention to meet the challenge of mental health, drug addiction and suicidal tendencies, Dr. Mudasir cautions against “brushing things off.” “If someone mentions suicide twice, as advised and written in books it should be a cause for concern and everyone should be mindful of this,” he says.
He avers that stigma is a major barrier to seeking help for mental health issues, leading to isolation and silence. Societal disapproval discourages individuals from seeking support for suicidal thoughts, leading to devastating consequences like increased despair and suicide. The stigma associated with mental health and suicides sometimes persists after the person has committed suicide.
A young man from Lachipora Boniyar told the Kashmir Times that in 2018, his 23-year-old brother committed suicide, leaving his family devastated. He says, his family will never be able to come to terms with the loss and will live in regret but he brushed aside queries about the circumstances that led to the tragic end of his brother – the family’s sole breadwinner.
Gap between mental health and infrastructure
According to the 2011 census of India, Jammu Kashmir has a population of around 12.5 million and there are about 41 psychiatrists, who are mostly affiliated with the GMC Jammu, GMC Srinagar and SKIMS hospital.
There are 140 indoor beds in 10 districts of Kashmir, and the out-patients services are provided by 16 psychiatrists, 12 psychologists, and one social worker. Only 5–6 psychiatrists are working as consultant psychiatrists at the district level (Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla).
Dr Mudasir, however, says the availability of treatment facilities in Kashmir is better than past. However, he emphasizes the need to further optimize these resources, Dr. Mudasir also highlights the importance of utilizing available treatment facilities effectively, suggesting optimization of resources and integration of well-trained clinical psychologists into the government sector to better serve the population.
He also advocates for School Mental Health Programs to address the rising suicide rate among young people, emphasizing early education on mental health. He underscores the significance of social connections for overall well-being and stresses seeking holistic support, including counseling and medication, while acknowledging the government’s efforts in establishing mental health helplines like 24/7 mental health helplines, such as the “TELE MANAS” by Institute of Mental health and Neuro-Science (IMHAN-K), “Sakoon” helpline launched by the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir.
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