Suicide is a tendency a person carries because of certain mental disorders. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “most people who die by suicide have a mental health issue. It may be a depressive or substance abuse disorder. They may feel lonely, depressed, or isolated. They may have had a traumatic life experience.
Many of the warning signs of suicidal feelings are also signs of depression.” In brief, socio-economic exclusion is the major factor that causes mental disorders leading to suicide attempts. However, there are many other reasons that can push a person towards this severe mental illness.
Over 700,000 to 800,000 deaths occur annually due to suicides or attempts. Studies show that after road accidents, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among the youth globally. The WHO’s newly released report highlights the continuous challenge that suicide presents to universal public health.
According to this report, currently, suicidal deaths worldwide hit 727,000, a rise from 703,000 in 2019. More than 56% suicides globally occur before the age of 50 years. Nearly 73% suicides are committed in low and middle-income countries.
The average is higher in Asia than in the West, though the patterns differ. For instance, in Asia, youth are more affected compared to the West, where elderly ratios dominate and are often tied to mental illness.
The United for Global Mental Health (UnitedGMH) and the WHO have recently reported that suicide and attempted suicide remain criminal offences in at least 23 countries worldwide, comprising Afghanistan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Kenya.
However, many countries consider suicide attempts a public health issue or an emotional act rather than a criminal act. In the last few years, several countries, including Pakistan, Guyana, Malaysia, Ghana, Singapore, and India, have decriminalized these laws.
In Pakistan, suicide is no longer a criminal offense. The legislative amendment in Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which upheld that any individual attempting suicide commits a criminal act and survivors could be punished with simple imprisonment for up to one year, a fine, or both, was abolished in December 2022.
It is an alarming fact that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among Pakistani youth under 30. According to the WHOa 2021, 8.9 suicides occurred per 100,000 people in 2019. This means that 15 to 35 people commit suicide every day. The suicide rate increased to 9.8 in 2022.
Notable incidents include 340 suicides in Bhakkar district (2012-2022), 40 % were under 20 years old, 65% linked to family conflicts, while 20% were because of academic failure. Tharparkar, an underdeveloped area of Sindh province, always reports a high rate of suicide attempts due to miserable financial conditions, extreme poverty, and unemployment levels.
The local newspapers reported 277 deaths out of 496 suicide cases due to unemployment from 2022 to 2024. A mother committed suicide with her two daughters in the town of Baseerpur, Okara, in October 2023, after consuming poisonous pills due to domestic issues, and died during treatment. Dr. Sheni Rossi, a 28-year-old, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself with a ceiling fan inside her flat in Baloch Colony, Karachi, in March 2024, linked to depression and health problems. Abdul Raees ended his life by hanging himself with a ceiling fan in Korangi, Karachi, in March 2024.
The family refused to take any legal action on the incident. A young man and a woman jumped into the water from a height to end their lives in Nullah Linga, Rawalpindi, in June 2024. The Rescue 1122 saved the woman, while the man drowned in the deep water and died.
The heartbreaking death of 22-year-old Muhammad Awais Sultan, a D-Pharmacy student, University of Lahore, who jumped from the 3rd floor of the university building and died on the spot, on December 19, 2025, is linked to academic pressure and personal struggles.
A 21-year-old female student of the same university from the same department, Ms. Fatima, jumped from the second floor on January 5, 2026, and luckily survived, is linked to family conflicts. These tragic incidents expose a mental health crisis that the youth are suffering from.
The exact number of suicide attempts in Pakistan is not known due to under-reporting or sometimes the family’s unwillingness to disclose. Studies show that home environment, strict parenting, domestic violence, family conflicts, academic pressure, family expectations, social stigma, financial stress, poor mental health, lack of family support, and fear of disclosing treatment of mental health issues are some of the common reasons behind the increasing number of suicide attempts.
Several studies present that work-family conflicts raise anxiety by weakening home life, communication, reliance, and confidence. It seems there is somewhere a disconnect between children and parents that nudges the former into serious emotional and psychological stresses. Whereas a hostile academic environment, lack of family support, and social pressure have pushed youth to the edge.
Young people are the greatest asset of a nation. Thus, the state is also responsible for providing them with equal opportunities and a healthy lifestyle. Similarly, they are a source of joy and energy for parents. Their primary growth, development, and grooming are solely lie with their parents and the surroundings.
Poisoning the home environment with conflicts, depression, and torture will have negative impacts on them. There is a need to raise awareness among them about socio-economic values, religious teachings, foster their emotional health, and teach ethical codes of life.
Young people should be treated as an asset, and not as a liability. There is a need to nurture them with love and care, spend time with them, give them attention and enlighten them about family values and social norms, stand behind them in their tough time, build a good friendship relation, talk to them about matters, and solve problems together, share your life experiences and challenges, and teach them to work hard to materialize their dreams. A strong family structure, characterized by strong connections among its members, as well as a value and appreciation for each other, is strongly needed in society.
The author is a social sciences researcher based in Islamabad and holds an MPhil in Public Policy. She is affiliated with Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), a policy think tank, and manages the executive director’s office. She can be reached at sahar@sdpi.org and on LinkedIn.
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