Citation

Malathesh BC, Tikka SK, Jain V, S Y, Math SB. Indian J. Psychol. Med. 2022; 44(3): 290-292.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Indian Psychiatric Society, South Zone, Publisher Medknow Publications)

DOI

10.1177/02537176221084075

PMID

35656436

PMCID

PMC9125455

Abstract

Suicide is defined as either an action of commission or omission resulting in the loss of one's life, and attempted suicide is when the above action is unsuccessful. Suicide attempts result from the interaction between biological, psychological, genetic, sociological, and environmental factors. According to WHO, around 8 lakh people die because of suicide every year, and 25 times more attempt suicide.1 Until the start of the 19th century, most countries had legislation in place to punish those who attempted suicide. The last 50 years saw a change in the above pattern. A systematic review found that around 25 countries still have legislations in place to punish those who attempt suicide. These include Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Malaysia, and Myanmar.2

The Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) 2017 has been a milestone event for India in this regard. This article discusses certain key practical challenges concerning the decriminalization of suicide in India, especially in medical settings, and then provide specific suggestions that might help address these challenges. First, we present a brief overview of how suicide has been viewed in the Indian legal systems thus far.

Language: en