Kerala’s Child Suicide Crisis- Why Are So Many Young Lives Being Lost?

In a stark and sobering reality, Kerala is grappling with an alarming surge in child suicides, leaving policymakers and the government scrambling for concrete solutions. The distressing tales of young lives lost to this preventable tragedy have sent shockwaves across the state, demanding immediate attention and collective action. As the statistics continue to paint a grim picture, we need to delve into the heart of this crisis, seeking answers to the pressing question: What will it take to stem the tide and safeguard the future of Kerala’s most vulnerable population, its children.  

The total number of child suicides in Kerala between 2021 and June 2025 remained alarmingly high, marking a sharp departure from the trends observed in previous years.

According to the statistics, exclusively obtained by this correspondent from the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), the suicide rates of children below 18 years registered a notable jump from 215 in 2019 to 338 in 2021, then subtly decreasing to 296 in 2022, further diminishing to 291 in 2023, only to surge to 331 in 2024. From 2025 January 1st to May 31st, there was a distressingly recorded total children’s suicide tally of 152.   

The increase can be gauged from the fact that the total number of children’s suicides in 2017 was 229, and 203 in 2018, with the number of suicides in 2019 being recorded at 215. Among the data from 2021 to 2025, the increase of girls ending their life is notable. 

In 2021, those girls who tragically ended their precious lives above 14 and below 18 years numbered 141, in 2022 this distressing figure increased to 146, and in 2023 it remained at 146, whereas in 2024 it was 143. From 2025 January to May 31st, this sorrowful count was 75. In comparison to the above, in 2021 the boys below 18 and above 14 years, 120 persons sadly died, in 2022, 118 persons, 2023 witnessed a decrease to 104, 2024 saw an increase to 136, and from 2025 January to May 31st, this tragic toll was 75. Kerala’s suicide rates have fluctuated between 3.3 to 3.9 per 100,000 from 2019 to 2024, with 291 to 338 total suicides annually, painting a sombre picture. India’s overall child and adolescent suicide rates have ranged from 2.1 to 2.7 per 100,000 during 2019-2022, with 9,613 to 11,396 total suicides, a stark national backdrop. The data highlights Kerala’s consistently higher suicide rate, a distressing truth compared to the national average. In 2022, Kerala reported 296 suicides among children below 18 years, with a rate of 3.399 per lakh, a critical statistic. This accounts for 2.90% of India’s total suicides in this age group, despite Kerala having only 2.04% of India’s population below 18 years, an imbalance that demands attention. Kerala’s overall share of suicides is 5.9% of India’s total, with the state having 2.53% of the national population, underscoring a disproportionate concern. This indicates a disproportionately higher suicide rate in Kerala, a grave concern compared to the national average.   

Kerala constitutes 2.04% of India’s population below 18 years, yet alarmingly accounts for 2.90% of the nation’s total suicides in this age group, starkly highlighting the state’s disproportionate and critical concern regarding child and adolescent suicides.

For children specifically, Kerala’s suicide rate below 18 years (3.399 per lakh) is higher than India’s rate (2.386 per lakh), a stark disparity. This data highlights the critical concern of child and adolescent suicides in Kerala, emphatically emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions and compassionate support systems to address this significant issue and ardently promote youth well-being in the state. Effective strategies are crucial to mitigate this heart-breaking trend.  

Bridging aspirations and reality   

According to eminent Pshychiatrist, Dr.Vikram Patel, who is Paul Farmer Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, underscores that suicide stands as a paramount cause of mortality among young individuals across most Indian states and globally. Kerala’s notably high suicide mortality rate is not a novel phenomenon, with speculation abounding regarding its underlying causes—including the state’s exceptionally reliable reporting mechanisms, which starkly contrast with regions like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. Dr. Patel personally posits that a pivotal driver of this issue stems from the dissonance between elevated aspirations, fostered through enhanced educational opportunities, and the harsh realities posed by clashes with traditional societal expectations surrounding occupational choices and romantic relationships. To effectively mitigate this complex and sensitive challenge, Dr.Patel advocates for addressing this profound social transition, alongside augmenting access to psychosocial interventions that eschew stigmatizing psychiatric terminology and are instead delivered through modalities and settings that resonate as acceptable and approachable to young people.

Timely intervention needed  

Dr. TV Anilkumar, Professor and Head of the Psychiatry Department at Government Medical College Hospital Ernakulum, expresses grave concern over Kerala’s escalating child suicide rate, which averages nearly one suicide per day. As part of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) implementation research, Kerala is collaborating on a study to uncover the causes of and solutions for drug abuse and suicides. Dr. Anilkumar emphasizes that there is no single, overarching solution to stem the tide of suicides, stressing the need to identify localized problems and tailor solutions accordingly. He highlights the importance of recognizing early warning signs, as children often exhibit indicators of stress before resorting to suicidal acts.

Dr. Anilkumar asserts that depression is a primary causative factor, which can be identified early and rectified through treatment addressing chemical changes in the brain. He notes that while some suicides result from impulsive decisions, these too can be anticipated and prevented. To mitigate this crisis, Dr. Anilkumar advocates for life skills training for children in schools and colleges, as well as psychological first aid and confidential counselling services provided by trained professionals. By empowering teachers to identify depression at an early stage and equipping parents with the tools to support their children, Dr. Anilkumar believes that many suicides can be prevented through timely intervention and treatment. Then the students themselves should be equipped to identify the problems and rectify it. The easiest way to stem the suicides is to create maximum awareness.     

Roots of students’ stress  

According to Dr TP Sethumadhavan, Professor of Trandisciplinary University of Health and Technology, Bangalore, Unhealthy competitions emerged as a result of the emergence of increasing competitive examinations. One among the reasons is that these unhealthy competitions are creating immense stress over the children.  The second reason is that the students are not taking a right decision with regard to the pursuance of professional courses without taking into account one’s interest, aptitude and goal. Many students are taking courses including medicine without understanding the workload associated with the course.

 It is only after joining the course they became aware of the workload and this is creating stress among the students. If we go by the attrition rates of students joining professional courses at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) the number of students dropping out from the courses midway are increasing. Due to parental pressure and peer pressure the students may take a particular course without considering their interest or aptitude. In many institutions when the students join for courses they are not getting adequate mentoring support from the faculty of those institutions.

Regarding the conduct of examinations institutions are carrying out hard and fast rules which us creating unwanted tensions among the students. Regarding the curriculum there needed to have a strong policy decision from the part of the academic community to avoid unnecessary topics in the academic curriculum. Those syllabi which are no way related with the job they are going to do are creeping into the curriculum of the professional courses which is adding to the burden of the students. These unwanted syllabi are mostly prevalent in medicine and technology courses. In arts and science courses there is not much of a problem.

Gen Z Under Siege: The Mental Health Crisis 

Dr. Sandeesh PT, a Clinical Psychologist, notes that Generation Z children are increasingly grappling with mental health issues, stemming from their inability to match their academic performance with peers, fostering feelings of inadequacy. The constant exposure to social media influencers’ curated success stories and overnight achievements creates a distorted psychological mindset, making them believe they can never measure up, leading to loneliness and depression. This toxic comparison can tragically drive children to suicidal thoughts, especially when faced with relationship failures, underscoring the urgent need for empathetic support and intervention.

The glow generation crisis: unpacking the alarming trend of child suicides  

Senior Pshychiatrist Dr CJ John said that it is crucial to contextualize these numbers within the broader landscape of behavioral problems among children. We’re witnessing a troubling trend where children are being prematurely exposed to adult themes, violence, and sexuality through electronic screens, effectively robbing them of their childhood. By initiating children into structured schooling at the tender age of 4 and bombarding them with inappropriate literacies, including what’s termed ‘suicide literacy,’ we’re compromising the quality of parenting and depriving them of essential life skills.

A striking dimension of this issue is the disproportionate number of girls under 18 who die by suicide, contrasting with the trend observed in those above 18. This phenomenon warrants closer examination, potentially revealing that girls at this age may not be adequately empowered by education to navigate the unique challenges they face.

I conceptualize this under-18 cohorts as the ‘Glow Generation,’ characterized by their constant exposure to electronic screens. This excessive screen time erodes their life skills, rendering them socially isolated and ill-equipped to cope with stress. The flawed models presented by cyber influencers further exacerbate this vulnerability, leading some to consider suicide or substance abuse as coping mechanisms. Regrettably, the efficacy of our corrective systems is dubious, and we lack a consistent action plan to address these pressing issues affecting our children. 

Fractured families:  The sociological roots of adolescent suicidal trends in Kerala 

Dr. Reeja PS, Assistant Professor in Sociology at BCM College Kottayam, emphasizes that Kerala, despite its laudable achievements such as a 96.2% literacy rate and high life expectancy, is covertly grappling with a mental health crisis—particularly among its youth. This crisis is starkly mirrored in the 8,047 suicides documented in 2022 by the NCRB, which includes a disturbing upward trend among adolescents. Beneath these grim statistics lies a profound sociological dislocation within familial relationships. In numerous households, especially those impacted by migration to the Gulf and rapid urbanization, emotional intimacy has progressively eroded, leaving children and adolescents precariously positioned within emotionally fragile environments.

The erstwhile traditional joint family structures, which once acted as a buffer through collective caregiving and intergenerational bonding, have largely been supplanted by nuclear or fragmented family setups. Within these modern setups, emotional absenteeism, authoritarian parenting styles, domestic discord, and a dearth of open communication are alarmingly prevalent. Children reared in such environments frequently experience a breakdown of trust and support, leaving them with profound feelings of rejection, neglect, and invisibility within their own homes.

The sociological concept of anomie, as posited by Émile Durkheim, is palpably manifest here—not merely as a by-product of academic stress or peer pressure, but more profoundly, in the disintegration of cohesive family norms that historically furnished a child with a steadfast sense of belonging. Conflicts between adolescents and their parents, revolving around issues of autonomy, expectations, gender roles, or digital liberties, often remain unresolved due to the absence of empathetic dialogue. Furthermore, stigmas surrounding emotional expression endure, particularly among male adolescents, thereby discouraging proactive help-seeking behaviours.

To effectively counteract this pervasive issue, Kerala must strategically invest in family-centric mental health interventions, fortify school and community-based emotional literacy initiatives, and foster intergenerational empathy through meticulously designed parenting workshops and counseling services. Ultimately, it is only through reinstating familial capacities to listen, validate, and emotionally reconnect that we can begin to redress the profound relational void that predisposes our youth to suicidal ideation.