Issues of life and death cannot be handled with kid gloves. The author brings his expertise  to present a bird’s eye-view of Punjab farmer suicides and calls for an all out war to ensure that death-wave is replaced by love for life in Punjab and other parts of the country, where this has only been reduced to a statistic. The PAU Journalism teacher also makes a strong case for responsible reporting by all media on suicides.

The Supreme Court has asked the Central Government to prepare a comprehensive plan of action to prevent farmer suicides, while observing that perhaps the government was going in the “wrong direction” in tackling the real problem.

3 crucial statements can be made about suicides:
1. It is a complex problem.
2. It is reactive.
3. It is preventable.

Suicide is often used as an escape from painful circumstances as well as settling of scores. A person committing suicide experiences 3 things in common –
I. a shattering feeling of defeat;
II. inability to find an escape; and
III. loss of hope for getting rescue.

One perceives life as agonizing to an extent that only death can provide reprieve. Depression remains the cornerstone of all suicides. While corporate houses take steps to improving mental health of their employees, there is no system in place to help the farmers in maintaining their emotional equilibrium in view of successive crop failures and rising debts. Even a little psychological first aid can benefit the farmers if available. It is believed that about 20 times more suicides are attempted than completed.

“Suicides are:
1. a complex problem.
2. reactive.
3. preventable.”

Presently, a suicide prevention project has started under the aegis of National Agricultural Science Fund (ICAR). Titled, ‘Addressing farmers’ suicide through capacity building of farming families’, the project aims at capacity building of farming families through Peer Support Volunteers (PSVs). These PSVs will be trained to provide psychological first aid to distressed farmers in their villages as well as to paraprofessionals. The project is spread over the states of Punjab, Maharashtra and Telangana.

During the course of a session on suicide prevention at a recent meet at a University in Bathinda, during the tea break, I heard a middle-aged farmer from Muktsar loudly remark, “In our village, three youth have committed suicides in the last twenty days”. Stunned, I went close to him and enquired about these suicides in detail. Asked about the possible reasons for serial suicides in his village, he quipped, “Rees! Punjabi rees bari karde haan” -Copycat. Punjabis often engage in imitative behaviour.

My mind kept battling with the word ‘Rees’ on the entire way back from Bathinda to Ludhiana; my mind’s pendulum swinging from calling it ‘absurd’, to considering it seriously. It certainly struck me as a shocking and disturbing fact of Punjabi behaviour and a new take on the issue. According to the farmer, one suicide could become a compelling model for other suicides if the first one was eulogized.

Back at my desk, I started searching for literature reporting evidence on correlation between suicides. Surprisingly, many studies reported that ‘the number of suicides increased if the media romanticized and dramatized the description of suicidal deaths’. Several studies have revealed how media reports tend to ‘advertise’ dramatic and highly lethal methods of suicide. Data showed positive association between media influences (stimulus) and suicidal ideation (response).

“3 common suicide experiences are:
I. a shattering feeling of defeat;
II. inability to find an escape; and
III. loss of hope for getting rescue.”

Generally, whenever we talk about farmer suicides, fingers are pointed at economists or agricultural scientists. Most discussions and parleys on suicides are overtaken by issues of crop failures, rising debts, new farming techniques, however the elephant in the room seems to be the psychological aspect. Agricultural and financial reasons may be the predominant factors leading to suicides but the dominant factor is the psychological one.

A farmer with a debt of 2 lacs is committing suicide, but another with a debt of 5 lacs is not. Why? What type of support system is available with the latter? What type of coping skills does the latter have? Can’t we provide the same support system and coping skills to the former? These and more questions need answers.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has suggested training in Psychological First Aid (PFA) to strengthen the support base. PFA is a humane, supportive and practical help for a fellow being. It covers both social and psychological support methods. It is not professional counselling rather simple first steps like listening to enable ventilation, helping people connect to information, services and social supports with a view to protect them from further harm. Persons trained in PFA can work as paraprofessionals in local setups and help in averting many suicides.

““Rees! Punjabi rees bari karde haan” -Copycats. Punjabis often engage in imitative behaviour.”
A farmer quips about one of the key reasons for rising suicides.”

It should serve as an eye-opener to media -print, TV and online to learn that irresponsible reporting leads other farmers with similar conditions to imitate suicidal acts. Individuals with demographic background similar to the person who committed highly publicized suicidal act are more at risk. Particular subgroups in the farming populace viz the farmers with same landholding, same amount of loan and suffering from depression, may be especially susceptible to engaging in imitative suicidal behaviours. They are influenced by the way a suicide is reported, particularly if the coverage is wide, high-flying, sensationalist and clearly describes the method and place of suicide. The amount and prominence of coverage, with repeated reporting are strongly associated with imitative behaviours. Over description of suicide by a particular method promotes suicides deploying the same method.

In order to promote safe media content, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2008 developed guidelines for the reporting of suicides. This includes educating people about suicide; avoiding both sensationalism and normalisation of the act; avoiding prominence and explicit description of the method and site of suicide; exercising caution in using photographs or video footage; providing information about how to seek help; showing due consideration for people bereaved by suicide and more. Celebrity suicides should be reported with care. Also suicide should be referred to as cowardly act and a sign of mental weakness.

The flip side has a ray of hope. Mass media imitation theory presumes that if modelling works in one way (copycat suicides), it can work in the other way also (positive model). Responsible reporting may serve to educate the public about suicide, and may encourage those at risk of suicide to seek help. People are more likely to seek help when appropriate remedial services are included in suicide stories.

Instead of saying that ‘man jumped from the top floor of the xyz building on abc Street’, it is better to say – ‘The person ‘fell to death from a local building’. Details like – ‘he used his abc sheet to hang himself from the ceiling fan in the hospital room’ can be omitted and replaced with ‘The person took his own life in a room’. Using phrases like ‘non-fatal ‘or attempt on his/her life’ are better than stating that it was an ‘unsuccessful suicide’. Words like ‘successful suicide’ or ‘committed suicide’ should be avoided.

The lead for suicide related news stories can run like this: ‘In another case of a cowardly act, a youth (not mentioning age) committed suicide. He was not mature enough to handle the tricky situations of life.’ This will make any other suicidal person think before trying to commit suicide. Chances are that he will find other ways to deal with the situation. We need to understand, that distressed people are in pain. They need us. Since the suicidal person is already depressed, he should be given some alternatives and preventive measures too. News articles and other media sources can provide local treatment resource information too.

“There is need for more restrained reporting of suicides as part of suicide prevention strategies to decrease the imitation effect. Instead of just reporting the suicidal acts, media should discuss preventive measures and take a joint responsibility in reporting and projecting suicides in a more responsible manner. Many precious lives can be thus saved.”

Families of suicide victims as well as those of abortive suicide attempts should be handled as ‘a call for help’. If neglected these may be the unfortunate forerunners of future completed ones. There is need for more restrained reporting of suicides as part of suicide prevention strategies to decrease the imitation effect. Instead of just reporting the suicidal acts, media should discuss preventive measures and take a joint responsibility in reporting and projecting suicides in a more responsible manner. Many precious lives can be thus saved.

Apart from agricultural and remunerative pricing solutions, we need to take care of farmers’ mental health too. They need to be trained to imbibe resilience and coping skills to battle with negative thoughts. Financial literacy and importance of savings should also be part of farmer trainings. The psychological and mental health issues should not be swept under the carpet.

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The elephant in the room seeks direction, succour and care. Is anyone listening?