Is suicide prevention finally working in India? Lancet study shows how suicide death rate went down by 30% from 1990 to 2021

Family problems and financial matters are key triggers in the 15-39 age group.

4 min readNew DelhiFeb 20, 2025 08:14 AM IST

Researchers found that suicide prevention was most effective when communities worked together through awareness, intervention and support systems. (File photo)

In an encouraging sign of how targetted interventions and counselling can help in suicide prevention, the suicide death rate in India has reduced by 30% from 1990 to 2021, as per the latest analysis published in The Lancet Public Health.

The analysis is based on the results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021. The suicide death rate in India was 18.9 per lakh population in 1990 and is estimated at 13 per lakh population in 2021. “The suicide death rate is the correct indicator to see if the suicide deaths have increased or decreased over time. The suicide death rate in India has reduced by 30%,” says Prof Rakhi Dandona, Director, Public Health Foundation of India Injury Research Centre, and among the collaborators of the study.

Why did suicide figures go down?

Researchers found that suicide prevention was most effective when communities worked together through awareness, intervention and support systems. And though there are more helplines and mental health guidance and counselling platforms now, the authors of the paper felt that addressing socio-economic triggers was the key to suicide prevention.

The authors wrote how promoting family stability, social integration and addressing harmful cultural practices are important. Strengthening social support systems is crucial as strong community networks can provide a buffer against the social isolation often associated with suicide risk.

The authors also noted that while only mental health interventions might be insufficient in some cases, it remains crucial to improve access to mental health care, particularly in low-income settings. Integrating mental health care into primary health systems can improve access and reduce stigma, making services more widely available to underserved populations.

Additionally, public awareness campaigns that reduce stigma surrounding suicide and encourage help-seeking behaviour can create a more supportive environment, the authors argued.

What are the reasons for suicide by gender?

There were 1.88 lakh deaths by suicide in India in 2021, of which 1.13 lakh were men, 74,869 were women. Of the 1.88 lakh deaths, a total of 1.08 lakh were in the 15-39 age group.

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According to Prof Dandona, suicide was the leading cause of death in women in the 15-39 age group in 2021 while among men it was the second leading cause of death after road injuries. “The reason for a high number of suicides in the 15-39 age group was mostly related to family problems and financial matters as per the data available from the National Crime Records Bureau. However, details of what ‘family problems’ include are not available. But in our understanding, family problems for married women include domestic violence, challenges with spouse/in-laws predominantly,” she says.

Female suicides more common in South Asia

Meanwhile as per the analysis, similar to 1990, countries in South Asia and high-income Asia Pacific still carry some of the highest burden of female suicide mortality. “The suicide death rate is higher among females who completed Class XII as compared with those who were not educated. This raises concerns on the extent of empowerment that education provides to Indian women. We need more in-depth work to understand this better,” Prof Dandona says.

Meanwhile as per the report, suicide is a global health issue with a suicide death every 43 seconds globally–that’s 740,000 deaths annually. Trends in the mortality rate over the past several decades show large improvements, with a decline of 39.5% since 1990, but this is not consistent throughout the world or by demographic group. Of the 746,000 suicides reported globally, 519,000 deaths were among males and 227,000 were among females

The analysis indicates that males were more than twice as likely to die from suicide than females. Females were 49 per cent more likely to attempt it. Every minute, four males and six females around the globe need in patient treatment due to suicide attempts. Ten per cent of suicides by males and 3 per cent by females were with guns. In the United States alone, 55 per cent suicide attempts by males and 31 per cent by females were with guns.

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Over the last three decades, the global age-standardized mortality rate1 for suicide declined by nearly 40%, from about 15 deaths per 100,000 to 9 deaths per 100,000, indicating that intervention and prevention are working. For females, the rate declined by more than 50%, while it declined by almost 34% for males. Regionally, East Asia recorded the largest decline of 66% with China reporting the largest decline in the region.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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