Understanding the Interconnected - Navigating the Impact of Social Change on High Suicide Rates

The state of Kerala has a unique history of high social development, rapid social change and

high suicide rates. The purpose of this Book is to explore the effects of rapid social change

on suicide rates of Kerala within a broader Indian context-that is, to show how the suicide

problem of Kerala reflects the overall suicide problem in India. The association between

rapid social change and suicide rates is explored by sensitising Durkheim's suicide theory in

the Indian context. The study utilises a mixed method approach consisting of bivariate

analyses and linear regression modelling (quantitative analysis) and in-depth interviews

(qualitative analysis). The results highlight that high suicide rates of Kerala and India more

generally, are a result of a state of conflict or anomie developed through an ongoing clash

between the traditional and the modern ways of living. The states with high Hindu

populations are found to be susceptible to suicide as historical sanctions towards suicide in

Hindu culture continue to have their impact on modern Hindu suicides. Also, more affluent

states and states with higher literacy rates tend to have higher suicide rates. For example,

south Indian states have higher suicide rates while north Indian states have lower suicide

rates. Furthermore, high unemployment rates seem to have a weak impact on suicide rates

across India. All these results indicate that the more 'modernised' parts of India suffer from

higher suicide rates.