A Review of Trends in Suicide and Deliberate Self Harm in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka is a unique country with an alarmingly high suicide rate overlapping with deliberate self harrn. More lives have been lost as a result of suicide than due to ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, during the last two decades. Over the past few decades scientists from medical and sociological disciplines have examined the causes, impact, and preventive measuresfor this phenomenon. This article aims at reviewing trends in suicide and deliberate self harm in Sri Lanka with special reference to the methods used. Information was gathered from the libraries of the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Sri Lanka Medical Association and the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and a collection of articles by the author. Findings show that suicide in Sri Lanka had been documented in the early civilization and reports are mainly of prominent people in the society who took their lives. The methods used to commit suicide were violent. During British rule reporting of suicides were more organized and methods used gradually transformed from hanging to drowning and self poisoning. During the period from J 950 to J 995 the suicide rate has rapidly increased by eight fold. Sri Lanka was rankedfirst in the world in J 995for the highest suicide rate of 47/ J 00,000 and since then a gradual decline in suicides has been noted. Methods used were determined by the availability: agrochemicals remained the first choice and other substances including therapeutic substances emerged as other tools to commit suicide. Methods used showed a geographical variation. Suicides among the youth were common in the second half of the ur century and in 2007, the same was true for females whilst in males the age at suicide increased to 45 - 50 years.