WHO Report 2012 quoted India of which about 80% of the people are Hinduism has a high suicide rate of about 21 per 100K population, while global average is about 11.4 per 100K population. Does Indian / Hindu in minority race countries in Asia like Singapore and Malaysia also have higher suicide rate compared to other races and religions? What could be factors causing this phenomenon?
1. Does the WHO report give religion-wise or country-wise figures? If the figures are given according to the nationality of the victims, then it is wrong to make an extrapolation and say that since 80% of Indians are Hindus, therefore suicide rate is high amongst Hindus.
2. Even if the figures show that the suicide rate is high amongst Hindus, how can we attribute it to the religion or the religious beliefs of the victims? In India, in fact, most of the Hindus do not get any exposure to the religious teachings of Hinduism from the families or schools.
3. Hinduism as a religion has the longest history of survival against external invasions . Hindu scriptures instill a positive attitude of acceptance which discourages suicide.
Some intersting aspects of India's suicides, which may number around 300K yearly, is that women outnumber men as victims and many deaths occur in rural areas where pesticide is a common means. Interesting question if suicide risk migrates. I've often wondered if high rate among Native Americans in US applies to those who have moved away from their communities of origin. In any case, anecdotally, the psychiatric emergency facility where I work has several suicide-related crisis contacts and involuntary admissions every year involving upper middle class Indian American professionals.
Dear Pramod,
I don't think anybody is saying Hinduism as a religion promotes suicide. The phenomenon we found out are as stated: "WHO Report 2012 quoted India of which about 80% of the people are Hinduism has a high suicide rate of about 21 per 100K population, while global average is about 11.4 per 100K population". Some agencies estimated 80% of people in India are Hinduism affiliated - I would think it simply means if someone were to ask them what religion they belong to, they will say Hinduism, and not Christianity or Buddhism, or Muslims. As to whether how religious they are, I haven't come upon any studies or figures yet. Will let you know if I come upon something like that. India has one of the highest rate of suicide in the world as a county. As to why, I haven't come upon a detailed studies yet.
Interesting observation Tony. WHO 2012 estimated about 800K suicide world-wide that year. I am not sure why women outnumber men, but there were studies in China which pointed out there used to be very high rural suicide rate for women due to cultural factors, gender roles, etc. Anecdotally, do you see relative higher percentage of Indian migrants there?
Dear Dr Lew, I strongly suspect that the high suicide rate has to do not so much with Hinduism per se, as with the caste system (which is sanctified by Hindusim, but is present even among Indian Muslims and Christians, let alone Buddhists or Jains). As we know, caste is a group one can't actually break out of. Grim economic conditions of and behavioural restrictions imposed upon many inferior castes mean that their members are helpless to change their and their posterity's social position in any foreseeable future. Hence unprecedented frustration.
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