Adolescent psychology must be addressed to prevent youth suicides

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Udisa Islam
Published : 07:30, Dec 21, 2018 | Updated : 00:51, Dec 22, 2018

A report by Centre for Injury Prevention and Research states that every day, 66 persons take their own lives.In 2018, from 1 January till 10 December, the number of suicides in the country stood at 508.
Of this, 274 are women and 232 men. Most are students followed by domestic worker and labourers.
Of the total number, 38 per cent are between 11 and 20 and committed suicide by hanging. Social analysts says that teenagers do not know how to control their emotions so they take their lives over the smallest of problems.
On 3 December, a class nine student of Viqarunnisa School, Aritry Adhikari committed suicide. In September, another girl called Anika took her own life and a probe revealed that several young people took their lives due to academic pressure, personal depression, humiliation and for not getting the desired social respect.
Most suicides took place in rural areas. Of the 508 deaths, 352 were by hanging; of them, 271 took place in rural areas.
A report by Centre for Injury Prevention and Research states that every day, 66 persons take their own lives.
As per a 2016 survey, every day 26 persons below the age of 17 commits suicide.
Director of Save the Children (child protection and child rights), Abdullah Al Mamun, told Bangla Tribune: “the period between 11 and 20 is sensitive because at that time, young people do not know how to control emotion.”
They may be hurt by things which may surprise us, he added.
Since they do not share their fears and concerns, a huge schism exists between them and their parents.
Professor of Bangladesh Psychological Health Institute, Professor Dr. Tajul Islam says: “there are two types of suicides: planned and driven by emotion.”
In rural areas, girls commit suicide driven by emotion as definition of social respect is totally different in the villages.
“Our socio-economic condition is often the reason for women to take their own lives.”
When both parents are working, children do not get the right company and the essential lessons to develop resilience, he added.
From a social angle, the tendency of our parents to resort to comparison using demeaning language, the implanting of the fearful perception of social humiliation sow feelings of defeatism in children.
These issues need to be addressed carefully, he stated.

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