According to the National Suicide Registry of the health ministry, Bhutan saw 92 suicides last year. This is an increase from 73 cases recorded every year in the past years.
An analysis of suicide rates by job shows farmers at the top of the list. As per the suicide registry, of the 92 people who committed suicide in 2016, 34 were farmers.
Age wise, the suicide rate is high among the age group of 21-30. Twenty nine of the total 92 cases reported last year were between the ages of 21 to 30.
In terms of suicide by Dzongkhags, Samtse topped the list with 16 cases reported. Thimphu followed closely with 10 suicides reported, followed by Chhukha, Pema Gatshel and Tsirang with seven cases each.
Thimphu also saw 24 attempted suicide cases, the highest in the country.
The programme officer of the health ministry said relationship issues were the main reasons for the attempted suicides, while depression and drug abuse remain among the major reasons for suicidal deaths.
The health ministry’s Deputy Chief Programme Yeshi Wangdi said the implementation of the National Suicide Prevention Action Plan focused on surveillance system.
“There were lots of unreported cases in those days because of stigma attached to it,” he said. “Suicide is a sensitive thing and it was never reported in those days. So realizing this gap, soon after the action plan was established, we focused more on the surveillance system.”
This led to the establishment of the National Suicide Registry in all the 20 districts to improve record keeping. “Now, all the suicide cases are investigated and reported to the national suicide registry,” said Yeshi Wangdi. This, he said, is probably why there is a rise in the figure. In the past, with no surveillance system in place, the cases went unreported.
The three-year National Suicide Prevention Action Plan of which the National Suicide Registry is a part was endorsed and implemented from 2015 to prevent suicide in the country.
