Three years into pandemic, Himachal reports 14% decline in suicide cases

The spurt in the number of suicides witnessed in the immediate wake of the pandemic has relented a little, declining by 14%

The spurt in the number of suicides witnessed in the immediate wake of the COVID pandemic due to job loss, poor health, and uncertainty about the future, has relented a little, declining by 14% from 889 in 2021 to 758 in 2022.

A total of 2,502 persons died by suicide in the past three years between 2020 and 2022 with a majority of them men at 1,710 and the rest 792 women.

As per the data procured from the police department, 709 persons died by suicide in 2019 with the number rising to 855 and 889 in 2020 and 2021 respectively during the peak COVID 19 pandemic.

According to police, the maximum number of people who died by suicide were labourers (28%) followed by housewives (24%), students (11%), private employees (10%), businessmen and government employees (four per cent each), farmers (three per cent), and others (16%).

The suicide cases were attributed to marriage-related issues, financial issues, drug addiction, sickness, unemployment, unsuccessful love affairs, and other family problems.

"We had brought the suicide cases under radar and started a Register Number 27 to keep a record of suicide cases and analyse the reasons behind such extreme steps and started interventions through health and social justice department to take remedial measures which has yielded results," DGP Sanjay Kundu told PTI.

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