Nepal Police data shows that, in 2020/21, 4,222 men and 2,919 women committed suicide, of whom 764 were minors. The actual figure is at least three times higher, say experts ApEx spoke to. Suicide cases are under-reported, with families and communities trying to hide the fact, mostly because of the societal stigma attached to mental health. We would rather blame the victim for a ‘lapse of judgement’ rather than admit there might have been something simmering beneath the surface. It’s the social equivalent of the ostrich effect.

According to a survey conducted by Danphe Care, a Kathmandu-based healthcare management company, 60 to 70 percent youths suffer from some sort of mental health issue, be it panic attacks, anxiety or depression. Out of this, 10 percent were found to be suicidal. Kabin Maleku, program coordinator at Danphe Care, says a lot of people who suffered from mental health problems after the 2015 earthquakes experienced a relapse during the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.

While addressing mental health issues is paramount, we also need to pay attention to the various factors that promote anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. The focus also needs to be on creating a favorable environment that curbs mental health disorders.

Padma Prasad Ghimire, chairman of SAMMAN, a non-profit, says issues like poverty, violence, and discrimination have to be tackled on a national level to control and stop suicide. Suicide, he says, has deep social and economic implications and Nepal government must treat it as an emergency. Currently, priority isn’t given to suicide prevention. Alongside normalizing mental health as any other physiological issue, Ghimire sees the necessity of being on problem-solving mode. By that, he means tackling issues that could potentially trigger mental health problems.

The consensus among experts was that a lot of work needs to be done in different areas to even come close to understanding what drives people to commit suicide. That is where we must start, says undersecretary of National Human Rights Commission, Manju Khatiwada, adding, suicide is treated as a social malady and people would rather not discuss it. That in itself, she says, hints at deep-rooted problems that must be urgently addressed.

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