Recently, researchers of psychology have been raising the issue of decriminalisation of suicide in the legal system of Bangladesh. It is a vital requirement to ensure appropriate suicide prevention environment in the country.
Suicide is a major public health problem globally. The rate of suicides is increasing in Asian countries and Bangladesh is no exception. As part of a prevention strategy, decriminalisation of suicide has been ensured in many countries. However, without addressing the basic requirements to prevent suicides like having a national suicide database, national suicide prevention strategies, suicide surveillance system, adequate research and implementing evidences into policy, decriminalisation would not be very helpful.
Suicide is the end product of interaction of multiple risk factors such as genetic, psychic, social, and cultural factors where interaction happens complexly depending on several factors like culture, religion, gender, personal belief, occupation, educational status, age and life events. Individual efforts in any sector would merely be beneficial. A central strategy focused at suicide prevention is a precondition.
Suicide is a poorly-researched public health problem in Bangladesh, often neglected by almost every stakeholder in the country. Recent systematic review along with other repeated evidences have revealed that reliable source of suicide information is a real challenge in the country with the actual rate of suicide yet to be estimated. Neither a countrywide epidemiological study nor psychological autopsy study has been initiated yet. Psychiatric disorders as risk factors are grossly under-studied. Psychiatric services in the country are inadequate to manage the growing number of suicides.
With the thrust of improving the media reporting of suicidal behaviours, many psychiatrists and psychology experts have recommended changing the legal status of suicide in the country. They believe that this would reduce social stigma, undue legal harassment and unnecessary fear to receive and provide medical care after suicidal behaviours. However, this change should be harmonised with other efforts.
Dr. SM Yasir Arafat
MBBS, MBA, MPH, MD (Psychiatry)
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