Suicide among children and adolescents in India as a public mental health priority.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560029, India.
- 2Institute for Connected Communities, University of East London, London, UK. [email protected].
- 3Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
- 4Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560029, India.
- 5Department of Anthropology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500046, India.
Abstract
Background
Suicide among children and adolescents (≤ 18 years old) is a growing public health concern in India, contributing to an alarming 6% of total suicides reported in 2022. Despite policy efforts, systemic gaps in prevention, reporting, and mental health infrastructure persist.Methods/approach
This paper uses secondary data from the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) reports (2014-2023) published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to map the key trends and key drivers of suicide among youth in India. Descriptive report estimates on suicide data among individuals aged 0-18 years were categorised by gender, cause, and year. To interpret the underlying drivers of suicide, we applied the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM), which organises risk factors across four levels: individual, interpersonal, community, and societal.Results
Between 2014 and 2023, a total of 100,787 children died by suicide in India, with female children consistently outnumbering males. The most frequently reported causes were family-related problems (25,049), followed by academic failure (12,988), love affairs (12,988), and mental illness (6143). Nearly 29% of suicides were attributed to unknown or "other" causes, indicating gaps in documentation.Conclusion
Suicide among Indian children and adolescents is driven by multifaceted structural and psychosocial factors. A Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological approach reveals multiple points of intervention, including school-based mental health services, family support programs, anti-stigma initiatives, and community-level capacity building. A coordinated public health response tailored to each SEM level is essential to reverse current trends and safeguard child mental health.
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BibTeX
@article{ramakrishnan2026suicide,
title = {{Suicide among children and adolescents in India as a public mental health priority.}},
author = {Thangaduraipandi Ramakrishnan and Alexandra A Deac and Shankavi Vivekanandhan and Tatiana Taylor Salisbury and Dhanasekara Pandian Ramasamy and Anish V Cherian and Rajendra Kiragasur Madegowda and Nanda Kishore Kannuri},
journal = {Discover mental health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s44192-026-00478-5},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902111},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Suicide among children and adolescents in India as a public mental health priority.
AU - Thangaduraipandi Ramakrishnan
AU - Alexandra A Deac
AU - Shankavi Vivekanandhan
AU - Tatiana Taylor Salisbury
AU - Dhanasekara Pandian Ramasamy
AU - Anish V Cherian
AU - Rajendra Kiragasur Madegowda
AU - Nanda Kishore Kannuri
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Discover mental health
DO - 10.1007/s44192-026-00478-5
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902111
AB - Background Suicide among children and adolescents (≤ 18 years old) is a growing public health concern in India, contributing to an alarming 6% of total suicides reported in 2022. Despite policy efforts, systemic gaps in prevention, reporting, and mental health infrastructure persist.Methods/approach This paper uses secondary data from the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) reports (2014-2023) published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to map the key trends and key drivers of suicide among youth in India. Descriptive report estimates on suicide data among individuals aged 0-18 years were categorised by gender, cause, and year. To interpret the underlying drivers of suicide, we applied the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM), which organises risk factors across four levels: individual, interpersonal, community, and societal.Results Between 2014 and 2023, a total of 100,787 children died by suicide in India, with female children consistently outnumbering males. The most frequently reported causes were family-related problems (25,049), followed by academic failure (12,988), love affairs (12,988), and mental illness (6143). Nearly 29% of suicides were attributed to unknown or "other" causes, indicating gaps in documentation.Conclusion Suicide among Indian children and adolescents is driven by multifaceted structural and psychosocial factors. A Bronfenbrenner's socio-ecological approach reveals multiple points of intervention, including school-based mental health services, family support programs, anti-stigma initiatives, and community-level capacity building. A coordinated public health response tailored to each SEM level is essential to reverse current trends and safeguard child mental health.
SN - 2731-4383
ER -