|
Abstract
|
Suicide is an important indicator of social, economic and mental health of a society. Similarly suicide due to exam stress and failure reflect the educational structure of the country.
Suicide due to exam failure by young people has been noted more frequently in Asian countries compared to Western countries.
In Asia, academic excellence is held in high esteem and is viewed as a means of ensuring a successful future. Suicides due to exam failure was 12.9% of all suicides in Korea and 5% in Iran.
A study from Bangladesh found that 25% of students attempted suicide before they were to write entrance exams to university. However, a recent study from Sri Lanka did not find a strong correlation between exams and suicides.4
India reported 1, 70,924 suicides in 2022, out of which 7.6% were by students and 2248 suicide deaths were attributed to exam failure.5
Multiple factors play a role in exam failure suicides. The individual factors are low self-esteem, high expectation, impulsivity, history of physical or sexual abuse, learning and intellectual disability.
Over-anxious and over-ambitious parents, dysfunctional family, criticisms, comparisons with peers and lack of support in the family, alcoholism, violence, psychological and economic problems in the family increases suicidal risk.
A system of education which emphasizes on scoring marks, one-point evaluation, pressure on the teachers from administration and parents to obtain 100% pass percentage and lack of career guidance and counseling in schools are contributing factors.
There is enormous competition to gain admission into colleges and the media hype around the results, the shame associated with failure push adolescents to suicide. Months of pent-up emotions in a highly emotionally wrought state results in suicide due to exam failure.
Every year two major exams, referred to as public or board exams, are conducted--one at the end of the 10th grade and the other at the end of the 12th grade in India.
SNEHA is an NGO working as a suicide prevention centre in Chennai, India. There was a fourfold increase in calls and visits from suicidal students in the month of May when results of the public exams are announced. An exploratory assessment revealed that students who failed in one or two subjects were the ones who died by suicide. Public debates, media articles, press releases were issued and parent association meetings were organized.
This proactive stance by SNEHA and the enormous media support...
Language: en |