A bright young girl died by suicide on Monday. She had topped Madhya Pradesh Class 12 Board examination in the Arts stream in 2020. While the state praised her for her academic achievement in 2020, yesterday, when the country was celebrating Raksha Bandhan, this girl chose to hang herself to death.
22-year-old Khushi Singh was a resident of Chunari village in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district. She had studied from the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School. Her family was in the other room of the house at the time of the incident. They were shocked to see her dead Tuesday morning. The police was informed. Following the procedure, the police sent her body for post-mortem.
Khushi Singh had secured the first place in her Class 12 board examination. She had scored 486 marks out of 500. The district administration along with social workers had congratulated her. Khushi Singh dreamt of being a teacher. According to police, Khushi Singh was worried about something for the last 15 days.
This is not the first case of a student dying by suicide. Children choose to die by suicide over various reasons, at times due to poor performance in examination, due to breakup in their relationship, if they are subject to trolling, or at time due to increasing pressure from their family members.
While the reason behind Khushi’s decision to die by suicide is not known yet, it is important to be aware of suicidal tendencies in children. Here are some of changes in children which you should notice:
Change in Mental State: There is a need to be alert when there is change in the mental state of children. If they look unusually sad, worried or aggressive, talk to them.
Social Isolation: During depression, most children start feeling isolated from their friends and family.
Change in Thought: Watch for changes in a child’s thoughts, such as thinking about suicide or researching methods to die by suicide. They may also talk to others about this topic.
Change in Behaviour: Sudden changes in behavior, such as collecting medications for suicide or making a plan, should be taken seriously.
Change in Self-Esteem: A child’s self-esteem may weaken, leading to negative thoughts about themselves
Change in performance in school: Look out for changes in performance in school, such as declining grades, being unusually quiet, or avoiding school.
Change in Social Media Activity: If a child disconnects from social media without reason or starts posting concerning content, it’s important to talk to them.
Personal Problems: Children may become upset due to conflicts at home or issues with friends.
Mental Health Problems: Children of any age can experience depression or anxiety due to various reasons.
Previous Suicide Attempts: If a child has previously attempted suicide, seek expert help and counseling immediately.
If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)