Nepal has seen a disturbing rise in suicide rates, with 7,223 people taking their own lives in the fiscal year 2023-24, according to the latest data from Nepal Police. This figure averages out to 20 suicides per day, highlighting a severe mental health crisis affecting a wide range of individuals, including farmers, students, housewives, and unemployed youth, reports The Kathmandu Post.
Nepal, which was ranked seventh globally for suicide rates by the World Health Organization in 2014, continues to struggle with high self-harm rates. The latest statistics show that over 40 percent of suicides involved farmers, with 5,556 farmers taking their own lives. Students accounted for 15.4 percent (2,128), and housewives made up 11.6 percent.
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The exact reasons behind these suicides are unclear. Dr. Ashish Dutta, a senior police official, stressed the need for a detailed study to uncover the underlying causes.
According to the WHO, nearly 80 percent of Nepal’s population needs mental health care but lacks access. The average annual increase in suicides was 7.2 percent from 2015 to 2020, rising to 14 percent in 2021.
To address this crisis, the WHO has recommended two key strategies: a short-term National Suicide Prevention Helpline Service and a long-term National Resource Centre for suicide prevention at the National Mental Health Hospital.
The Ministry of Health and Planning has agreed to establish the helpline at the Mental Hospital in Langankhel, Lalitpur. A dedicated helpline number became operational in May 2021, supported by the WHO and the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation (TPO) Nepal.
