Suicide rates drop in parts of Northeast India, but Sikkim sees alarming spike: NCRB

Guwahati: Several states in Northeast India witnessed a sharp decline in suicides in 2023, even as the country overall recorded a slight increase.

The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data reported that Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh reported significant drops in suicide cases, standing out as rare exceptions to the national trend.

Mizoram led the region with a 35.9% decline in reported suicides compared to 2022. Nagaland followed with a 26.5% drop, while Arunachal Pradesh recorded a 14.1% decrease.

These figures suggest a potentially positive shift in mental health awareness, support services, or reporting mechanisms in parts of the region.

This trend sharply contrasts with the national data, which showed a 0.3% overall rise in suicides across India in 2023, crossing the 1.7 lakh mark.

While states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal contributed the highest numbers, some of the smaller Northeastern states showed more erratic patterns.

One area of serious concern, however, is Sikkim, which recorded one of the highest suicide rates in the country. With 40.2 suicides per lakh population, Sikkim ranked second only to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which had a rate of 49.6 per lakh.

The consistently high rate in Sikkim points to persistent socio-economic or mental health challenges that need immediate policy attention.

The report further showed that family problems, illness, drug abuse, and marital issues remained the primary causes of suicide nationwide.

In the Northeast, these factors likely interact with region-specific stressors such as geographic isolation, lack of access to quality healthcare, and socio-political instability in some pockets.

The NCRB also noted that students and unemployed youth accounted for 8.1% of all suicide victims, a concerning figure for a region with a young population and high youth unemployment in several states.

The report highlighted that suicide patterns in the Northeast are more volatile than in other parts of the country.

Despite having smaller populations, many Northeastern states showed steep year-on-year changes, pointing to unique local pressures not always reflected in national policy frameworks.

Mental health experts argue that while the decline in suicide numbers in Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh is encouraging, sustained investment in mental health education, community outreach, and accessible counseling services remains critical.

In states like Sikkim, where suicide rates remain alarmingly high, the need for targeted intervention is even more urgent.

The NCRB's annual report serves as a vital tool for state governments and policymakers to track mental health trends and allocate resources effectively.

For the Northeast, it reveals a complex picture, one of both progress and persistent vulnerabilities.