Report topic: Suicide

Research Topic: Why Suicide Rate is increasing

Course Title: SOC101
Section 17

Prepared For
Prepared By
Farhana Sultana [Fns]
Lecturer Anika Jahin 1812666030
Israka Jahir 1921312042
Mabeean suukyi 1921348645
Sadia Imran Meghla 1631168630
Writhy Tahsin 1922068042
Sadia Sultana 1921746042
 Introduction

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing One’s death. According to Durkheim, the
term Suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a
positive or negative act of the victim’s own self, which he or she knows will produce
the result. It comes from the Latin word “Suicidium”, which literally means “To Kill
Oneself”. It tends to carry different traits depending on the culture. Historically and
still today in some locations Suicide is considered as a criminal offense, a religious
taboo and an act of disgrace. The method of Suicide varies from country to country. It
is partly related to the availability of effective means. Common methods of suicide
include hanging, pesticide poisoning and firearms.
Attempted suicide or non-fatal suicidal behavior is self-injury with at least some
desire to end one's life that does not result in death. This is in contrast to euthanasia,
where another person takes a more active role in bringing about a person's death.
Suicidal ideation is thoughts of ending one's life but not taking any active efforts to do
so. It may or may not involve exact planning or intent. In a murder-suicide (or
homicide-suicide), the individual aims at taking the life of others at the same time. A
special case of this is extended suicide, where the murder is motivated by seeing the
murdered persons as an extension of their self. Suicide in which the reason is that the
person feels that they are not part of society is known as egoistic suicide.
The rate of suicide is increasing day by day. Not only in Bangladesh but also whole
World. Shocking news came out from the World Health Organization report that each
year approximately one million people die from Suicide. It represents a global
mortality rate of 16 people per 100000 and one death every 40 seconds. It is predicted
that by 2020, the rate will increase to one every 20 seconds. In last 45 years Suicide
rates have increased by 60% Worldwide. From WHO report we came to know that
Suicide rates are highest in Eastern Europe. Youth Suicide is increasing with greatest
rate. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year.
Non-fatal suicide attempts may lead to injury and long-term disabilities. In the
Western world, attempts are more common among young people and among females.
 Literature Review

The literature on suicide contains few popular stories and discussion. Durkheim in his
Suicide literature said that the more socially integrated and connected a person is the
less likely he or she is to commit suicide. As social integration decrease people are
more like to commit suicide. Another psychologist said that people talk about Suicide
like it is a secret that you cannot share with anyone. Suicide is whispered among
friends and family members and when someone engages in a suicidal act, the only
question on everyone’s mouth is “why?”
From the literature review we can get the information that suicide is not a personal
problem it is a social problem. People commit Suicide due to any social cause. Mainly
the environment around him of society forces him to commit suicide.
From the literatures we came to know that A numbers of psychological factors
increase the risk of suicide including: hopelessness, loss of pleasure in life,
depression, anxiousness, agitation, rigid thinking, rumination, thought suppression,
and poor coping skills. A poor ability to solve problems, the loss of abilities one used
to have, and poor impulse control also play a role. In older adults, the perception of
being a burden to others is important. Those who have never married are also at
greater risk recent life stresses, such as a loss of a family member or friend or the loss
of a job, might be a contributing factor. Certain personality factors, especially high
levels of neuroticism and introverted, have been associated with suicide. This might
lead to people who are isolated and sensitive to distress to be more likely to attempt
suicide. On the other hand, optimism has been shown to have a protective effect.
Other psychological risk factors include having few reasons for living and feeling
trapped in a stressful situation. Changes to the stress response system in the brain
might be altered during suicidal states.
Social isolation and the lack of social support have been associated with an increased
risk of suicide. Poverty is also a factor with heightened relative poverty compared to
those around a person increasing suicide risk. Over 200,000 farmers in India have died
by suicide since 1997, partly due to issues of debt. In China, suicide is three times as
likely in rural regions as urban ones, partly, it is believed, due to financial difficulties
in this area of the country.
In few articles we found that Social media also has a strong impact on people's lives.
Social media has been very negative lately. Social media is an easy place for passing
random comments on other people’s activity which can harm someone’s mental health
badly. Few cases states that because of negative comments many people commit
suicide on a regular basis.
Hypothesis
The biggest misconception about suicide is that it’s something that just Happens and
nothing can be done to stop or prevent it.

The main research problem of this topic is that “Is society

responsible for every suicide or not?”
Suicide is not a mental illness but a serious potential consequence of mental disorder
that includes major depression, bipolar disorder and excessive stress. It is a
combination of social factors. Sometimes people are overwhelmed by social problems
like unemployment by social problems like unemployment, family breakups etc. and
when a number of these social factors come together they can be enough to send a
man to the path of Suicide.

Few case studies on Suicide to solve the research problem.

1. Man committed suicide after being gang raped. The name of the victim was Jamal
Uddin. He committed suicide after a group of man gang raped him, recorded the
footage of the incident, demanded ransom and later threatened to spread the video on
social media, if he fails to pay. The rape incident took place in a forest of Gazipur.
Jamal Uddin’s son told everything to the police. He said that a few people were trying
to extort money from Jamal. Jamal didn’t agree to give the money. Later they took
Jamal to the forest and gang raped him while recording the footage. Then they
blackmailed him and demanded 2 lakh to be paid. The other day Jamal sent all his
family members to his in laws house and hanged him from a beam of the balcony.
Jamal had informed his family and local about the incident. They suggested him to file
a complaint, but he killed himself. Being frustrated and out of humiliation he
committed suicide.
Cause: Jamal Uddin was worried about what society would think. He was tensed
about his reputation. He couldn’t handle the pressure and committed suicide. Society
has set benchmark of reputation and prestige. Jamal Uddin’s mind wasn’t different
from the typical perspective of society.

2. Woman and newborn baby’s suicide incident in hospital,brahmanbaria.Following a

“quarrel” with her husband over medical bill, a woman killed her newborn by
throwing him from the roof of a five-story hospital building and then committed
suicide by jumping off it. Sima akter, 25 was admitted into Life care shishu hospital
with her labor pain, she gave birth to a baby boy. The same night she was due to be
released from the hospital. Her husband was on Lebanon.
Farida khatun, relative of her heard her fight with her husband over the phone for a
long time that night about the hospital bill. “She was informing her husband about the
bill and how it will be more as she rented a cabin during her stay at the hospital then
there was a lot of screaming from the other side.”

At one point, Farida khatun heard her say that she won't feed the child and in the
morning,
Sima threw her newborn baby from the roof of the hospital and also committed
suicide by jumping.

Cause: women are lagging behind because society does not provide them much
employment opportunities and they feel dominated by financial dependence. Suicides
are happening due to this dependence on men and lack of money.

3. Suicide of Viqarunnisa student Oritri Odhikari

Oritri Odhikari, student of class nine committed suicide as her father was insulted by
the principal of her school because of her.

During the examination, a teacher caught oritri with mobile phone. Later she was
asked to meet the principal accompanied by her parents. There principal and a
member of governing body insulted them .At a point the principal and governing body
asked oritrti’s parents to collect transfer certificate on the following day. At one stage
her father burst out of tears after being insulted. Seeing this Oritri left the room
hurriedly. Later when her parents reached at home, they found her hanging from the
ceiling fan in her room.

Cause: we give a thought to this matter, we will see that the reason of oritri’s suicide
is a society and it’s so called protocol. First of all, she was caught with phone in exam.
She was cheating and why did she do that? Because she knew that if she doesn't cut a
good figure in test the people around her won't accept her. She knew that as per as
society anyone who is doing well in his respective place, will be honored otherwise
ignored. Then when her father was insulted, she was in great guilt. Along this she was
also afraid to show herself to the society after being suspended as society will mock at
her and she will be tagged as a bad girl, her parents will be humiliated more and more.
These social pressure didn’t let her live.

So we can say, because of this society Oritri took her own life.

4. SSC Suicides: The Human Cost of an Education, Sanjida Islam Nova, first girl of
her class at Uttara's Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Government High School,
killed herself on May 8, 2017. Family members found her body early in the morning.
Just the night before, she had stayed up late chatting with her family. Nova (as she is
called by her family) was a talented student and had hopes of joining the air force or
army, according to her paternal uncle, Nasir Uddin. She achieved a 4.73 GPA but had
hoped for a GPA-5 in her SSC examinations. Her uncle consoled her saying, “Not
getting a GPA-5 is not a problem. You can make up for it in your HSC exams. You
can still get admitted to universities with a minimum GPA of 3.5.” Nova's family is in
shock and grief because they do not understand why she suddenly took her own life.
Nasir insists that Nova's parents did not pressure her to achieve a Golden A+ (scoring
80+ in every subject) or GPA-5 (A+ or an overall average of 80+). “We are an
educated family, we are not like that,” he says, close to tears.
Going by this account, Nova had achieved quite well in her examinations and,
seemingly, had family support. She had also not apparently displayed warning signs of
suicide such as loss of interest in activities or withdrawal from friends and family.

Cause: In her society, She did, however, experience what many perceive as a 'failure'
in their education—not getting a GPA-5 in the SSC exams, which pressurized her to
take that step.

5. CASE: KIM JONGHYUN (NORTH KOREA)

Kim Jong-hyun better known mononymously as Jonghyun, was a South Korean
singer-songwriter, record producer, radio host, and author. He was the main vocalist
of the South Korean boy band Shinee for nine years.

On December 18,2017.Later that day, at 4.42PM, JongHyun’s sister ,Kim-So-Dam,

made an initial call to emergency responders, reporting that she believed he intended
to commit suicide, because he had sent her a number of massages on KaKao Talk with
words such as “last goodbye” and “say I did well”. Then He received emergency CPR
treatment.

However, he failed to regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at the hospital
at around 6:32PM. After investigation the police said that a coal briquette was burning
on a frying pan-a common method of self-killing in South Korea. He left a suicide
note which was published by his close friend under permission by his family. In his
suicide note he wrote “I am broken inside. The depression that grown on me slowly
has finally engulfed me entirely, I couldn’t defeat it anymore. I was so alone. The life
of fame was not for me. Why did I choose this life? It’s so funny thing. It’s so miracle
that I lasted this long”.

Cause: From his suicide note it’s clear about his mental-health struggles over the
years. He wanted to run away from his life and told of the pressure of being in
spotlight for nearly a decade. Many talented people are recruited as teenagers, who
may not be emotionally mature enough to handle the discipline and the scrutiny. The
Korean public sets high standards of behavior and physical appearance, and uses
social media to pass instant judgment. Kim Jonghyun’s death highlighted the pressure
facing young people in South Korea's intensely competitive entertainment industry.
Already isolated from normal, settled lives, they are surrounded by an ocean of
screaming fans. Unable to taken seriously when they voice their problems. His suicide
warns us of the pitfalls of fame. Our society is behind the suicide.

6. Chester bennington On July 20, 2017, Bennington was found unresponsive and
unconscious at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California; his housekeeper
discovered him at around 9:00 a.m. PDT. He was taken to the hospital, where he was
pronounced dead. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging. Mike Shinoda confirmed
his death on Twitter, writing, "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official
statement will come out as soon as we have one”. On July 21, Brian Elias, the chief of
operations for the office of the medical examiner-coroner, confirmed that a half-empty
bottle of alcohol was found at the scene, but no other drugs were present. The band
announced that they had canceled the North American leg of their One More Light
Tour following Bennington's death and that tickets would be refunded. Linkin Park
has been on hiatus since 2017.
Cause: To everyone known to him connect his death to one of his close friends who
also committed suicide by hanging himself. Chester was very depressed after his close
friend’s death. His surroundings were intolerable for him to survive.
Suicide - Causes and Risk Factors

Genetic and Social influences have been identified as contributing factors for the
development of suicidal ideation.

Genetic: Heredity and genetics have an influence on an individual’s mental health and
thus his or her risk of engaging in suicidal ideation, suicidal ideation is often linked to
heritable mental health disorders.

Environmental as in Social: Environmental influences may also be contributing

factors for the development of suicidal ideation. Stress and trauma are among the most
common factors. Other possible causes may include abuse, accidents, bullying,
injuries, and being close to someone who also committed suicide. Suicidal ideation
may occur when a person is experiencing limited support, is exhausted, or feels there
is no other better solution.

Risk Factors:

● A history of trauma, stress, violence, and/or being a victim of bullying

● Abuse and abandonment during childhood
● Being close to or knowing someone who has committed suicide
● A personal history of mental health disorders
● Family history of mental health disorders

Suicide - Lasting effects

The longer that a person suffers from chronic suicidal ideation without getting
treatment, the greater the risk those they will begin to act upon those behaviors. The
actual act of attempting suicide can lead to significant health problems, depending on
the means by which the person uses. Some of these health problems can include:

● Failure of a specific organ

● Broken bones
● Scars from cuts or burns
● Paralysis
● Total organ failure
● Falling into a coma
● Excessive blood loss
● Brain damage

The most serious long-term effect of suicidal ideation is successfully completing the
act of suicide.
Conclusion
We can help Suicidal Person by following these steps make society more livable.

Do everything in your power to get a suicidal person the help he or she needs.
Encourage the person to see a health professional, help them locate a treatment
facility, or take them to a doctor’s appointment. If the doctor prescribes medication,
make sure your friend or loved one takes it properly. Be aware of possible side effects
and be sure to notify the doctor if the person seems to be getting worse. Those
contemplating suicide often don’t believe they can be helped. Saying, “Call me if you
need anything” is too vague. Don’t wait for the person to call you. Drop by, call again,
and invite the person out. Help everyone with good things Such as a healthy food
plan, plenty of proper sleep, and getting outside in the sun or into nature for at least 30
minutes each day. Exercise is also extremely important as it relieves stress, and
promotes mental well-being. Help the person develop a set of steps he or she promises
to follow during this crisis. It should identify any triggers that may lead to a suicidal
crisis, such as alcohol, or stress from relationships. Also include contact numbers for
the person’s therapist, as well as friends and family members who will help in case of
an emergency. Remove potential means of suicide, such as pills, knives, razors, or
firearms. Even after the immediate suicidal crisis has passed, stay in touch with the
person your support is vital to ensure your friend or loved one remains on the recovery
stage Most importantly everyone needs to be a good listener to everyone who is in
suicidal phase and consider suicidal talk as a cry for help. Never judge a suicidal
person for their thoughts on anything. Be positive towards them. Help everyone to be
less secretive and be Active.

Reference
1.https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/ssc-suicides-the-human-cost-education-
1407193

2. https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/viqarunnisa-noon-school-college-student-
commits-suicide-dhaka-bangladesh-bd-1668766?amp

3. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2019/08/19/man-commits-
suicide-after-being-gangraped?
fbclid=IwAR35ljoCATkWh3IxxjjSPzMCacWNtTHAYam0lXcYyO92ZuD4kQNbJr8
-C7U

4.https://www.scmp.com

5. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention.htm

6. https://www.sevenhillsbi.com/disorders/suicide/symptoms-effects/

7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5981976/