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Awareness March in Agartala Highlights Urgent Need For Mental Health Support

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
  • Sep 10, 2025
  • 699

A special awareness rally was organized in Agartala on Tuesday by the Indian Psychiatric Society, Tripura State Branch to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. The program was inaugurated by Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy, with the central message that “suicide is preventable.”

National and Regional Perspective

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), around 1.6 lakh people die by suicide in India every year. The incidence is comparatively higher in the North-Eastern states.

Tripura’s figures are particularly alarming:

2023 Data: Suicide rate stood at 20.8 per 100,000 population, nearly double the national average.

 

Monthly Average: Around 16 suicides per month.

2022 Data: Tripura recorded the second-highest suicide rate in the North-East (17%), far above Mizoram (12.4%), Assam (9.4%), Meghalaya (6.4%), Nagaland (2.2%) and Manipur (0.8%).


This persistent upward trend highlights a serious public health and social concern for the state.

Underlying Causes

Experts point to a mix of social, economic, and psychological factors driving the high suicide rate:

Mental stress and depression

Unemployment and economic insecurity

Domestic conflict and social alienation

Addiction and substance abuse

Lack of early mental health treatment and counseling


A significant barrier remains the stigma surrounding mental illness. Many individuals avoid seeking help, fearing social judgment. As a result, treatable conditions often escalate into crises.

Government Initiatives

The Tripura government has taken several steps in recent years to address the crisis:

Appointment of psychiatrists at district hospitals

Launch of counseling cells in schools and colleges

Awareness camps in rural areas to break stigma and promote mental health literacy


However, challenges persist:

Shortage of qualified mental health professionals

Limited helpline services and crisis intervention infrastructure

Deep-rooted cultural taboos around discussing mental illness

Conclusion

Suicide in Tripura is not merely an individual tragedy but a social and systemic failure. While the Agartala rally spread a vital message of hope and awareness, long-term solutions demand a multi-layered approach: stronger mental healthcare infrastructure, early intervention, and above all, a compassionate societal response to those in psychological distress.