IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review, 2013, 1(1), 29-34

In Hanoi 74% of female and 82% of male suicide attempters were not
referred to any mental health professionals after treatment at
emergency units. The results are similar in China (97% for men
98.8% for women) and India (97.6% and 98.3% respectively),
reflecting the non existence of eligible referral services in Asia as a
whole. Western studies also show deficiencies in after care of suicide
attempts. A study from Helsinki shows that one third of attempters
did not even receive the absolute minimum recommended aftercare
during the month after their suicide attempts.The WHO/EURO
multi-centre study on parasuicide found that 20% of female suicide
attempters were not recommended any further treatment (Suominen
et al.,, 2002; Bille-Brahe et al., 2004) .
Strategies for suicide prevention can be divided into a health care
approach and a public health approach. The health acre perspectives
deals with how to improve early diagnosis ,deliver the best effective
treatment of mental disorder in hospital and the community and
follow up and rehabilitate patients at risk for suicide. The public
health approach includes controlling environmental risk factors by
for example reducing access to mean of suicide and also changing
attitudes towards mental illness and suicide and making
professionals and the general public more aware of symptoms of
mental illness, suicide and scope for improving mental health and
preventing suicide (Wasserman, 2001).
Most Asian countries do not have national strategies for suicide
prevention programmes, although 60% percent of suicide worldwide
occurs in Asian countries (Bertolote & Fleischamann, 2005).
Together China ,India and Japan account for more than 40% of all
world suicides. In India,there is no national strategies for suicide
prevention. Suicide prevention activities are conducted through non
governmental organization (NGO). They include primary care
physician in how to recognize and effectively treat depression and
suicide as well as numerous training programmes for nurse, teacher
and police officers in how to recognize suicide work. Unfortunately
the programme have not yet been evaluated (Vijaykumar, 2006).
Based on epidemiological findings that suicidal thoughts are 22
times common than suicidal attempts, while suicide plans are only
three times more common, it was previously recommended that
suicide prevention should focus on those with suicide plans
.however, when more in depth studies were performed , the results
showed that 42.7% of respondent who had lifetime suicidal thoughts
scored within the range of mild or severe depression according to
Beck Depression Inventory. Those results indicating that it is useful
to start suicide prevention activities among person with suicidal
thoughts since they often have depression that can be treated
(Vijaykumar, 2001).
Stress vulnerability model also emphasized that suicidal
behaviors occurs, when there is an imbalance between risk factors
and protective factors, personal conflicts and lack of support were
found to be the main factors precipitating suicide attempts. Attempts
usually occurred after physical or psychological abuse, such as
blaming or scolding by respondent's parents or husband/wife. The
kind of phenomenon is highlighted by WHO Strategies of how to
prevent domestic violence and bettering of children and partners
(Krug et al., 2002; Wasserman &Narboni, 2001). These WHO
Strategies should be implemented, they can probably assist in suicide
prevention as well, the WHO resourse for teacher regarding how to
prevent suicidal behaviors an ultimate consequences of mental ill
health could also be used immediately (WHO, 2000; Krug et al.,
2002; Wasserman &Narboni, 2001) .Teaching young people how to

33

find other people to confide in if the family fails to give them support
is other strategies. These strategies also involve enhancing public
awareness of the improve the recognizing suicidal communication
and distress in young people psychosocial strategies that focus on
young people at risk, such as school drop out and on teaching
families how to communicate about problems and distress can be
tested. Restriction of means-the other population oriented measures
would be to reduce access to toxic pesticides by raising public
awareness of the need to keep there potent poison under look and
key. Exerting central over the sale of highly toxic raticides is a
second way of restricting access. Thirdly regulating the sale of
paracetamolor Sedatives, which have proved to be successful
suicide prevention strategies in the United Kingdom, could be used
in urban area in other country also. Health care services: the lack of
mental health services in the community and of systematic way of
assessing mental ill health and suicidal behavior are obstacle to
suicide prevention. The development of mental health care services
as well as helpline networks (L.ester, 2001) in suicide prevention
should be encouraged. Finally, enhancing the knowledge of people
in community, general practitioners (GPs) , nurse and other health
professional to detect suicide risk factors is an equally important
way of preventing suicide. Lastly it can say that suicidal thoughts are
multi-factorial and associated with mental health problems such as
feeling of anxiety and depression, general somatic illness such as
cancer and as array of psychosocial factors. A better understanding
of the unique and complex factors in a culture or region may
facilitate prediction and control of suicidal process in the region
concerned.

National plan
The World Health Organization's (WHO's) suicide prevention
multisite intervention study on suicidal behaviors (SUPRE-MISS),
an intervention study, has revealed that it is possible to reduce
suicide mortality through brief, low-cost intervention in developing
countries.
There is an urgent need to develop a national plan for suicide
prevention in India. The priority areas are reducing the availability
of and access to pesticide, reducing alcohol availability and
consumption, promoting responsible media reporting of suicide and
related issues, promoting and supporting NGOs, improving the
capacity of primary care workers and specialist mental health
services and providing support to those bereaved by suicide and
training gatekeepers like teachers, police officers and practitioners
of alternative system of medicine and faith healers. Above all,
decriminalising attempted suicide is an urgent need if any suicide
prevention strategy is to succeed in the prevailing system in
India.10th September - World Suicide Prevention Day: The World
Suicide Prevention Day was formally announced on 10th
September, 2003. Each year the International Association for
Suicide Prevention (IASP) in collaboration with WHO uses this day
to call attention to suicide as a leading cause of premature and
preventable death. The theme for the year 2007 is " Suicide
Prevention-Across the Life Span". It calls attention to the fact that
suicide occurs at all ages and that suicide prevention and
intervention strategies may be adapted to meet the needs of different
age groups. It is hoped that the theme will focus on vulnerable,
ignored and stigmatized groups and also draw together researchers,
clinicians, societies, politicians, policy makers, volunteers and
survivors in a concerted action (Kumar et al., 2013). In addition