Student suicide rates in the country reached a concerning 513 in 2023, with females accounting for 309 of those lost, according to a survey.
Aachol Foundation, a non-profit social organisation specialising in mental health awareness, conducted the survey with data collected from 105 national and local newspapers, and online portals on cases of death by suicide among students.
Teenagers were found most vulnerable, with 66.5 per cent of victims aged 13-19 and 65 per cent being female. Dhaka division recorded the highest number of student suicides at 149.
Out of the total cases, 140 were college students, 98 were undergrads and 48 were students at madrasas.
Among university students, 19 were enrolled in public universities, with five each at Dhaka and Chittagong Universities. Jahangirnagar University followed with three student suicides.
The survey further highlights the diverse academic backgrounds of the victims - 14 from private universities, seven from science and technology universities, six from medical colleges, five from nursing institutes, two from polytechnic institutes, three from engineering universities, one from an agricultural university, and 15 from other institutions.
The survey recognised emotional distress as the leading cause of student suicide in the country, accounting for 32.2 per cent of cases in 2023. This Bengali term, “obhiman,” loosely translates to “emotional hurt” or “wounded pride.”
Other significant factors include romantic complications (14.8 per cent), mental health issues (9.9 per cent), family conflicts (6.2 per cent), and domestic abuse (1.4 per cent).
Academic pressure played a lesser role, contributing to 4.5 per cent of suicides, with exam failure (3.5 per cent) and desired results not achieved (1.8 per cent) being specific reasons.
The study highlights other vulnerable situations: 9 suicides due to not achieving desired grades in public exams, 7 due to family abuse, and 4 due to public insults or reprimands. Sexual harassment and humiliation contributed to 2.5 per cent and 0.8 per cent of cases, respectively.
The findings were disclosed in a press release by the Aachol Foundation, alongside proposals for several measures to reduce student suicides.
These include monthly mental health screenings, promoting mentor-mentee relationships for every student, training teachers on mental health-related matters, breaking the taboo around mental health discussions, raising awareness about suicide warning signs, and integrating mental healthcare into insurance coverage.
Notably, a similar survey conducted in 2022 revealed 532 cases of suicide among students.
