Farmers’ suicide in India: "Sociological disaster or unrecognized psychopathology"

Abstract

Though agricultural farming is considered a peaceful and healthy industry, it has a high rate of mortality, especially suicide. Farmer suicides account for 11.2% of all suicides in India. This is an increase of 5.7% when compared with 2020 figures. In 2022, many states reported drought conditions and untimely incessant rainfall, leading to a high suicide rate. Unrestrained imports and changes in tariff regimes brought in by the liberal economic reforms have led to a drastic drop in agricultural prices, identified as reasons by social scientists for farmer suicides. The rising cost of cotton cultivation and pesticide costs are pointed out as reasons for suicide among cotton farmers. Mental health and psychosocial aspects are largely ignored in the discussion of farmer suicides.  Psychological autopsy studies on farmers’ suicides have reported significant psychiatric morbidity among victims. We should look for the possibility of a treatable psychiatric illness behind every farmer’s suicide to identify and treat these conditions, and this will make a significant "medical breakthrough" in the fight against suicide.