Trends and dynamics of youth suicides in developing countries

Global suicide rates have been fluctuating over recent decades decreasing in developed countries such as the USA countries in the European Union and Japan and increasing in eastern Europe especially in Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union Sri Lanka and China. What appears to be common in the countries that had increasing suicide rates is the sociocultural upheaval brought about by changes in the political and economic system leading to free markets and open society. One striking aspect of the suicide rates in southern India is a higher suicide rate in girls than boys which has also been observed in China and Singapore. The question of whether the politico-economical and sociocultural upheaval affects the younger population especially girls more than other groups is an important area for further study. However one can surmise that intergenerational and gender conflicts are more intense in a traditional agricultural society transforming into an egalitarian industrial society than in stable developed countries. March 1 issues of both Time and Newsweek magazines covered outsourcing of jobs from the USA to India and the accompanying socioeconomic and cultural changes. A report from Sri Lanka which has the highest national suicide rate in the world described possible reasons for high suicide rates: conflicts between collectivism and individualism rigid hierarchical structure repressive education and influence of foreign culture through cinema and television. (excerpt)