Attempted suicides increase in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The past few months has seen an alarming increase in the rate of attempted suicides in the Jaffna peninsula, said sources in Jaffna. In January this year there were 44 cases, in February 43 and till March 20, 38 attempts. However only about 1% of the attempts were successful said sources.

More than 50% of the attempts were made by young people, many of whom are married women. Sources attributed this to marital problems stemming from incompatibility between husband and wife. A trend seen in Jaffna recently is marriage among persons hardly out of their teens.

This is due to fear that young, single, men and women could face the dangers of living in a highly militarized situation.

However, after marriage the couples realise the travails of married life and its commitments. Unable to cope with its pressures they attempt at taking their own lives said hospital sources who regularly attend to suicide cases.

While the majority of the attempts are of people disillusioned with marriage, there are other instances such as women who cannot bare the trauma and social ostracism because their husbands have disappeared, trying to take their own lives.

Most of the persons attempting suicide come from areas with high concentrations of population said sources.