September10th is designated as world suicide prevention day. This year the topic is in the limelight due to the interest being generated over the ‘blue whale’ as a game that incites young vulnerable individuals tosuicide as a part of incremental challenging tasks given to the victim. As a mental health professional I am often asked questions by anxious parents regarding this so called online game and its impact on their children and what they can do to prevent it. While this blue game controversy has helped bring the focus of the society at large on a very significant problem of suicides in the young,we are missing the larger picture by blaming an unknown perpetrator lurking on the dark side of the internet. The truth is and let’s face it….. Blue whale or no whale, suicide in the young is a reality and we are missing the sharks which are lurking around the corner.
45% ofIndia’s population is under the age of 25 years and suicide rates reported are among the highest in the world at around 30 per 100,000 population. The most reputed medical journal Lancet has reported that approximately 62000 suicides occur in India yearly below the age of 25 and it is the leading cause of deaths in adolescents and young adults in India along with road traffic accidents. And this is even before something like the blue whale came to public attention. In contrast around 150 suicides around the world (mostly in Russia) are attributed to the blue whale phenomenon.
So the moot point should be why should our adolescents commit suicide and why should they be vulnerable to such challenging tasks if someone were to even dare them to it.
1. Most suicides are a result of mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder which go undiagnosed and untreated. These are real medical illnesses which require medical treatment by a psychiatrist.
2. An adolescent is a process in evolution.The still developing and maturing brain may be extra sensitive to stress.
3. An adolescent’s personality is still developing and maturing which makes them emotionally vulnerable.
4. Need to be accepted and be popular in their peer group, academic stress, burden of parental expectations, substance use, influence of social media, disturbed home environment are some of the sharks that we should be worried about.
What can you do as a parent?
1. Be aware and vigilant of your adolescent. Where do they go? What company he/she keeps? How much time is spent on accessing internet and social media?
2. Common early or subtle changes in behavior such as drop in academic performance, preference to be excessively alone and withdrawn, sleep disturbances, truancy from school, stealing from home should not be ignored as a part of normal adolescent behavior. Seek professional help.
3. It is important to spend quality time with your adolescent. Let them know that you will always be available if they need you or have any problem.
4. You are the best person with whom they can discuss topics such as sexuality and drugs. Keeping them taboo only makes them more curious and explore them from unsecure sources.
5. Adolescents learn by observation and example. Bethe role model that you would expect them to follow.
An adolescent is like the flowering bud which is yet to bloom and needs to be tended with care.
As a mental health professional and a parent, I would not worry so much about the‘blue whale’, but about the sharks that are lurking around the corner.