Ganderbal, Sept 11: Health Centre and Department of Students Welfare (DSW), Central University of Kashmir (CUK), in collaboration with the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK), organised a programme on the theme “Changing The Narrative on Suicide,” to mark the “World Suicide Prevention Day 2025,” at Tulmulla campus here on Wednesday.
According to a statement issued here, during his address, Registrar, Dr. Nisar Ahmad Mir, drew attention to the sociological understanding of suicide. Recalling Emile Durkheim’s work on suicide wherein he (Emile) categorised suicide into four types viz Egoistic suicide, Altruistic suicide, Anomie suicide and Fatalistic suicide, Dr. Nisar, said, suicides are not merely psychiatric or individual problems but also deeply linked to social and cultural circumstances. “When the ego of a person is hurt—whether by family pressure, academic outcomes, or societal judgement—it often leads to egoistic suicide. Similarly, law and order issues and societal instability push people towards anomic suicide,” he explained.
Dean School of Legal Studies, Prof. Farooq Ahmad Mir, in his remarks, placed a strong emphasis on nurturing positivity as a shield against despair. “Anxiety disorders and despair can be prevented if we cultivate a positive attitude towards life. Believe in hard work, and leave the results to destiny,” he noted.
Dr. Majid Shafi, Consultant Psychiatrist, JLNM Hospital, Srinagar, in his presentation, provided an overview of the mental health landscape in Kashmir. Surveys, he said, show that “nearly 45% of adults in the region experience distress, 41% probable depression, and 26% anxiety, with limited mental health infrastructure to address these challenges.” “Kashmir has only about 100 psychiatrists serving its population, which is inadequate,” he remarked. Presenting statistics, he said suicide rates in the Valley rose from 0.5 per 100,000 before 1990 to 13 per 100,000 by 2020, with youth between 16–25 years most affected. In 2022 alone, J&K reported 600 suicides, of which 375 were in Kashmir.
Drawing data from District Hospital Ganderbal, Dr. Farah Shafi, Medical Superintendent, District Hospital Ganderbal, revealed, “The hospital attends 300–350 patients every week, with 20–25% expressing death wishes, 10–15% showing suicidal ideation, and around 7% having attempted suicide.”
Addressing the participants, Dr. Nazir Ahmad, Asst Prof. Religious Studies, stated, “Life becomes meaningful when we choose to live in the ‘now’ with gratitude and positivity. A healthy thought process enables us to accept what we cannot change and focus instead on what we can build today.”
Earlier, Dr. Reehana Shawl, Asst Prof. Deptt of Law, said, the objective of organising such programmes is to raise awareness, breaking the stigma around mental health, and encouraging communities and individuals to play an active role in preventing suicides.
Dr. Mudasir Ahmad, Asst Prof. Deptt of Law, said, that through lectures and presentations, the programme emphasised that suicide is preventable, provided societies acknowledge the problem and extend timely support to those at risk.
Dr. Sheeba Nazir, Medical Officer, proposed the vote of thanks. Medical attendant, Mr. Javid Ali and other staff members of the Health Centre were present.
