Hyderabad: Suicide by senior citizens in India is higher at 25 per 1 lakh population than the national average of 18 per 1 lakh population. It has risen in the past five years, experts say, due to loneliness, abandonment and chronic illness.
In Hyderabad, abandonment is prevalent during the late night and early morning, near railway stations, bus stops and Osmania General Hospital. Every month, 10 senior citizens are brought to OGH by families on the pretext of treatment and left there. From the ward, they drift to the compound waiting for the family that never turns up.
The helpline for senior citizens gets 20 to 25 calls a month for aid. Of these, 15 calls are of samaritans who find abandoned senior citizens. The Lake police noted more senior citizens than usual around Hussain Sagar. Attempted suicides are also on the rise.
“Cameras around the lake have noted the heightened movement of senior citizens,” said a senior cop. “Earlier, we did not pay attention but attempts at suicide has put us on alert. We have intervened in some cases and used police-style of strict counselling so that the families take back their elders.”
Police maintains a record and checks routinely with families of those attempting suicide. Pressure is maintained to not ill-treat and abuse them.
Attempted suicides also happen in five-star old-age homes. “The displacement to an old age home is a deep hurt as the children are not willing to take care of them,” Dr Ashok Reddy, senior psychiatrist, Apollo Hospitals, said.
“This trauma is driving them to extreme steps. This category was not on the suicide list of medical textbooks and was a rare event. The common age to commit suicide is 18 to 29 years and 40 to 50 years. But we now see suicide risk in those over 65 years,” Dr Ashok Reddy said.
“Senior citizens suffer Empty Nest syndrome as their children are not with them and move out for work,” Dr Minhaj Nasirbadi, general secretary of the Telengana Indian Psychiatric Society said. “Depression and loneliness often drives them to these tendencies. Those who suffer chronic illness and lack finances are also vulnerable.”
