Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Suicide | Research

Understanding complex causes of suicidal behaviour among graduates in Bangladesh

Authors: Jarin Tasnim Tasfi, Shafi Md Mostofa

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

Login to get access

Abstract

This study utilizes both fieldwork and desk-based discourse analysis of newspaper reports to investigate the concerning number of suicides among graduates in Bangladesh. According to some reports, a majority of suicide cases involve young adults who are either currently studying at university or have recently completed their degree (between the ages of 20 and 32). This research contends that patriarchal social expectations in Bangladesh place significant pressure on young adults to secure well-paying jobs to support their families and uphold their family’s status, which can have a negative impact on their mental health. Furthermore, this article identifies additional risk factors that contribute to the high suicide rates among graduates in Bangladesh. These factors include unemployment, poverty, relationship problems, drug addiction, political marginalization, and the stigma of shame, all of which can cause low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts. Moreover, the research suggests that families in Bangladesh have not been providing adequate support to their young members when facing challenges in life. On the contrary, families have added to the pressure on young adults, which can be attributed to joiner’s theory of the effect of industrialization on family norms and values.
Literature
1.
2.
3.
4.
Vijayakumar L, Pirkis J, Huong TT, Yip P, Seneviratne RD, Hendin H. Socio-economic, cultural and religious factors affecting suicide prevention in Asia. Suicide Suicide Prev Asia. 2008;2008:19–30.
5.
6.
Ali E, Maksud M, Zubyra SJ, Hossain MS, Debnath PR, Alam A, Chakrabarty PK. Suicide by hanging: a study of 334 cases. Bangladesh Med J. 2014;43(2):90–3.CrossRef
7.
8.
Durkheim E. Suicide: a study in sociology. Routledge; 2005. Aug 4.
9.
Joiner TA. Total quality management and performance: the role of organization support and co-worker support. Int J Qual Reliab Manage. 2007;24(6):617–27.CrossRef
10.
Freud S. The theme of the three caskets. InThe Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume XII (1911–1913): The Case of Schreber, Papers on Technique and Other Works 1958 (pp. 289–302).
11.
Sinyor M, Tse R, Pirkis J. Global trends in suicide epidemiology. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2017;30(1):1–6.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Joiner T. Why people die by suicide. Harvard University Press; 2005.
13.
Ferrari AJ, Norman RE, Freedman G, Baxter AJ, Pirkis JE, Harris MG, Page A, Carnahan E, Degenhardt L, Vos T, Whiteford HA. The burden attributable to mental and substance use disorders as risk factors for suicide: findings from the global burden of Disease Study 2010. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(4):e91936.ADSCrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
14.
Canetto SS, Lester D. Love and achievement motives in women’s and men’s suicide notes. J Psychol. 2002;136(5):573–6.CrossRefPubMed
15.
16.
Mashreky SR, Rahman F, Rahman A. Suicide kills more than 10,000 people every year in Bangladesh. Archives Suicide Res. 2013;17(4):387–96.CrossRef
17.
Dahlen ER, Canetto SS. The role of gender and suicide precipitant in attitudes toward nonfatal suicidal behavior. Death Stud. 2002;26(2):99–116.CrossRefPubMed
18.
Liu IC, Chiu CH. Case-control study of suicide attempts in the elderly. Int Psychogeriatr. 2009;21(5):896–902.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Phillips MR, Yang G, Zhang Y, Wang L, Ji H, Zhou M. Risk factors for suicide in China: a national case-control psychological autopsy study. Lancet. 2002;360(9347):1728–36.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Amagasa T, Nakayama T, Takahashi Y. Karojisatsu in Japan: characteristics of 22 cases of work-related suicide. J Occup Health. 2005;47(2):157–64.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Wong PW, Chan WS, Conwell Y, Conner KR, Yip PS. A psychological autopsy study of pathological gamblers who died by suicide. J Affect Disord. 2010;120(1–3):213–6.CrossRefPubMed
22.
23.
Takai M, Yamamoto K, Iwamitsu Y, Miyaji S, Yamamoto H, Tatematsu S, Yukawa M, Ide A, Kamijo Y, Soma K, Miyaoka H. Exploration of factors related to hara-kiri as a method of suicide and suicidal behavior. Eur Psychiatry. 2010;25(7):409–13.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Vijayakumar L, John S, Pirkis J, Whiteford H. Suicide in developing countries (2) risk factors. Crisis. 2005;26(3):112–9.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Arafat SY, Kar SK, Kabir R. Possible controlling measures of panic buying during COVID-19. Int J Mental Health Addict. 2021;19:2289–91.CrossRef
26.
Ara MJ, Uddin MF, Kabir MH. The causes of suicide and impact of society in Bangladesh. Int Res J Social Sci. 2016;5(3):25–35.
27.
Khan MM. Suicide on the Indian subcontinent. Crisis: J Crisis Intervention Suicide Prev. 2002;23(3):104.ADSCrossRef
28.
Shah MM, Ahmed S, Arafat SM. Demography and risk factors of suicide in Bangladesh: a six-month paper content analysis. Psychiatry J. 2017 Oct 10.
29.
Urme SA, Islam MS, Begum H, Chowdhury NR. Risk factors of suicide among public university students of Bangladesh: a qualitative exploration. Heliyon. 2022;8(6).
30.
Bhuiyan AI, Sakib N, Pakpour AH, Griffiths MD, Mamun MA. COVID-19-related suicides in Bangladesh due to lockdown and economic factors: case study evidence from media reports. Int J Mental Health Addict. 2021;19:2110–5.CrossRef
31.
Rasheduzzaman M, Al-Mamun F, Hosen I, Akter T, Hossain M, Griffiths MD, Mamun MA. Suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students: prevalence and risk factors. PLoS ONE. 2022;17(1):e0262006.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
32.
Ajdacic-Gross V. Suicide-background, epidemiology, risk factors. Therapeutische Umschau Revue Therapeutique. 2015;72(10):603–9.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Mostofa SM. Islamist militancy in Bangladesh: a pyramid root cause model. Springer Nature; 2021.
34.
Mostofa SM. Understanding Islamist Militancy in Bangladesh. J Asian Afr Stud. 2021;56(8):2036–51.CrossRef
35.
Bearman PS. The social structure of suicide. In Sociological forum 1991 Sep (Vol. 6, pp. 501–24). Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum.
36.
Rubenstein JL, Heeren T, Housman D, Rubin C, Stechler G. Suicidal behavior in normal adolescents: risk and protective factors. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1989;59(1):59–71.CrossRefPubMed
37.
38.
Yadegarfard M, Meinhold-Bergmann ME, Ho R. Family rejection, social isolation, and loneliness as predictors of negative health outcomes (depression, suicidal ideation, and sexual risk behavior) among Thai male-to-female transgender adolescents. J LGBT Youth. 2014;11(4):347–63.CrossRef
39.
Pathak N, Singh RN, Singh UP. Suicide and suicidality in India: vulnerabilities and resiliency. Suicide. 2017;5(1):52–60.
40.
Kleiman EM, Liu RT. Social support as a protective factor in suicide: findings from two nationally representative samples. J Affect Disord. 2013;150(2):540–5.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
41.
Zhang J, Song Z. A preliminary test of the strain theory of suicide. Chin J Behav Med Sci. 2006;15(6):487–9.
42.
Rehkopf DH, Buka SL. The association between suicide and the socio-economic characteristics of geographical areas: a systematic review. Psychol Med. 2006;36(2):145–57.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Maris RW. The sociology of suicide prevention: policy implications of differences between suicidal patients and completed suicides. Soc Probl. 1969;17(1):132–49.CrossRef
44.
Catalano R, Goldman-Mellor S, Saxton K, Margerison-Zilko C, Subbaraman M, LeWinn K, Anderson E. The health effects of economic decline. Annu Rev Public Health. 2011;32:431–50.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Chatard A, Selimbegović L, Konan PN. Self-esteem and suicide rates in 55 nations. Eur J Personality: Published Eur Association Personality Psychol. 2009;23(1):19–32.CrossRef
46.
Levi-Belz Y, Gvion Y, Horesh N, Fischel T, Treves I, Or E, Stein-Reisner O, Weiser M, David HS, Apter A. Mental pain, communication difficulties, and medically serious suicide attempts: a case-control study. Archives Suicide Res. 2014;18(1):74–87.CrossRef
47.
Levi-Belz Y, Gavish‐Marom T, Barzilay S, Apter A, Carli V, Hoven C, Sarchiapone M, Wasserman D. Psychosocial factors correlated with undisclosed suicide attempts to significant others: findings from the adolescence SEYLE study. Suicide Life‐Threatening Behav. 2019;49(3):759–73.CrossRef
48.
Verrocchio MC, Baker AJ, Bernet W. Associations between exposure to alienating behaviors, anxiety, and depression in an Italian sample of adults. J Forensic Sci. 2016;61(3):692–8.CrossRefPubMed
49.
Troll LE. Family life in middle and old age: the generation gap. Annals Am Acad Political Social Sci. 1982;464(1):38–46.CrossRef
50.
Compton MT, Thompson NJ, Kaslow NJ. Social environment factors associated with suicide attempt among low-income African americans: the protective role of family relationships and social support. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2005;40:175–85.CrossRefPubMed
51.
Harris TL, Molock SD. Cultural orientation, family cohesion, and family support in suicide ideation and depression among African American college students. Suicide Life-Threatening Behav. 2000;30(4):341–53.CrossRef
52.
World Bank. World development report 2021: Data for better lives. 2021.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
Akter H. Business Graduate-Ness and Work-Readiness: A Comparative Analysis of Public and Private Universities in Bangladesh. Asian Journal of University Education. 2020 Oct;16(3):59–77.
60.
Bin Rustam S. The Impact of Digital Marketing on Unemployment in Bangladesh. The Impact of Digital Marketing on Unemployment in Bangladesh, April 26, 2020.
61.
Dooley D, Catalano R, Hough R. Unemployment and alcohol disorder in 1910 and 1990: Drift versus social causation. Journal of occupational and organizational psychology. 1992 Dec;65(4):277 − 90.
62.
Grayson JP. Health, physical activity level, and employment status in Canada. International journal of health services. 1993 Oct;23(4):743 − 61.
63.
Montgomery AL, Zarnowitz V, Tsay RS, Tiao GC. Forecasting the US unemployment rate. Journal of the American Statistical Association. 1998 Jun 1;93(442):478 − 93.
64.
Fliege H, Lee JR, Grimm A, Klapp BF. Risk factors and correlates of deliberate self-harm behavior: A systematic review. Journal of psychosomatic research. 2009 Jun 1;66(6):477 − 93.
65.
Chan J. A suicide survivor: the life of a C hinese worker. New Technology, Work and Employment. 2013 Jul;28(2):84–99.
66.
Haw C, Casey D, Holmes J, Hawton K. Suicidal intent and method of self-harm: A large‐scale study of self‐harm patients presenting to a general hospital. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Behavior. 2015 Dec;45(6):732 − 46.
67.
Anniko MK, Boersma K, Tillfors M. Sources of stress and worry in the development of stress-related mental health problems: A longitudinal investigation from early-to mid-adolescence. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping. 2019 Mar 4;32(2):155 − 67.
68.
Whisman MA, Baucom DH. Intimate relationships and psychopathology. Clinical child and family psychology review. 2012 Mar;15:4–13.
69.
Bagge CL, Glenn CR, Lee HJ. Quantifying the impact of recent negative life events on suicide attempts. Journal of abnormal psychology. 2013 May;122(2):359.
70.
Teo AR, Choi H, Valenstein M. Social relationships and depression: ten-year follow-up from a nationally representative study. PloS one. 2013 Apr 30;8(4):e62396.
71.
Wyder M, Ward P, De Leo D. Separation as a suicide risk factor. Journal of affective disorders. 2009 Aug 1;116(3):208 − 13.
72.
Brassard, A., St-Laurent Dubé, M., Gehl, K., & Lecomte, T. (2018). Attachement amoureux, symptômes dépressifs et comportements suicidaires en contexte de rupture amoureuse [Romantic Attachment and Post Breakup Depression Symptoms and Suicidal Behaviour]. Sante mentale au Quebec, 43(1), 145–162.
73.
74.
75.
Brent DA, Johnson BA, Perper J, Connolly J, Bridge J, Bartle S, Rather C. Personality disorder, personality traits, impulsive violence, and completed suicide in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 1994 Oct 1;33(8):1080-6.
76.
Mee S, Bunney BG, Reist C, Potkin SG, Bunney WE. Psychological pain: a review of evidence. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2006 Dec 1;40(8):680 − 90.
77.
78.
79.
80.
Raleigh C. Political marginalization, climate change, and conflict in African Sahel states. International studies review. 2010 Mar 1;12(1):69–86.
81.
Klemenčič M, Park BY. 26. Student politics: Between representation and activism. Handbook on the politics of higher education. 2018:468 − 86.
82.
Altbach PG. Perspectives on student political activism. Comparative Education. 1989 Jan 1;25(1):97–110.
83.
84.
Mostofa SM, Subedi DB. Rise of competitive authoritarianism in Bangladesh. Politics and religion. 2021 Sep;14(3):431 − 59.
85.
86.
Matthies-Boon V. Shattered worlds: political trauma amongst young activists in post-revolutionary Egypt. The Journal of North African Studies. 2017 Aug 8;22(4):620 − 44.
87.
da Costa S, Páez D, Martí-González M, Díaz V, Bouchat P. Social movements and collective behavior: an integration of meta-analysis and systematic review of social psychology studies. Frontiers in Psychology. 2023 Apr 21;14:1096877.
88.
Charlson F, van Ommeren M, Flaxman A, Cornett J, Whiteford H, Saxena S. New WHO prevalence estimates of mental disorders in conflict settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. 2019 Jul 20;394(10,194):240-8.
89.
Hanson RK. The psychological assessment of risk for crime and violence. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne. 2009 Aug;50(3):172.
90.
Hou J, Yu L, Fang X, Epstein NB. The intergenerational transmission of domestic violence: The role that gender plays in attribution and consequent intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Studies. 2016 May 3;22(2):121 − 39.
91.
Kim-Goh M, Suh C, Blake DD, Hiley‐Young B. Psychological impact of the Los Angeles riots on Korean‐American victims: Implications for treatment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 1995 Jan;65(1):138 − 46.
92.
Ni MY, Yang L, Leung CM, Li N, Yao XI, Wang Y, Leung GM, Cowling BJ, Liao Q. Mental health, risk factors, and social media use during the COVID-19 epidemic and cordon sanitaire among the community and health professionals in Wuhan, China: cross-sectional survey. JMIR mental health. 2020 May 12;7(5):e19009.
93.
94.
95.
Narcotics department identifies 3,500 drug dealers in Dhaka. The Dhaka Tribune[ Internet]. (2021, September 24. [cited 2022, August, 19]. Available from https://​archive.​dhakatribune.​com/​bangladesh/​dhaka/​2021/​09/​24/​narcotics-department-identified-3-500-drug-dealers-in-dhaka
96.
Police: LSD seized during probe into DU student’s death. The Dhaka Tribune [Internet]. 2021, May 2. [cited 2022, August, 19]. Available from https:https://​archive.​dhakatribune.​com/​bangladesh/​dhaka/​2021/​05/​27/​police-lsd-seized-during-probe-over-du-student-s-death
97.
Borges G, Bagge CL, Cherpitel CJ, Conner KR, Orozco R, Rossow I. A meta-analysis of acute use of alcohol and the risk of suicide attempt. Psychological medicine. 2017 Apr;47(5):949 − 57.
98.
Randall JR, Nickel NC, Colman I. Contagion from peer suicidal behavior in a representative sample of American adolescents. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2015 Nov 1;186:219 − 25.
99.
100.
Brinkmann V, Zychlinsky A. Beneficial suicide: why neutrophils die to make NETs. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2007 Aug;5(8):577 − 82.
101.
102.
Kazan D, Calear AL, Batterham PJ. The impact of intimate partner relationships on suicidal thoughts and behaviours: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016 Jan 15;190:585 − 98.
103.
Cheng Y, Zhang XM, Ye SY, Jin HM, Yang XH. Suicide in Chinese graduate students: a review from 2000 to 2019. Frontiers in psychiatry. 2020 Dec 4;11:579745.
104.
Garcia-Williams AG, Moffitt L, Kaslow NJ. Mental health and suicidal behavior among graduate students. Academic psychiatry. 2014 Oct;38:554 − 60.
105.
Miller NS, Mahler JC, Gold MS. Suicide risk associated with drug and alcohol dependence. Journal of addictive diseases. 1991 Jul 19;10(3):49–61.
Metadata
Title
Understanding complex causes of suicidal behaviour among graduates in Bangladesh
Authors
Jarin Tasnim Tasfi
Shafi Md Mostofa
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keywords
Suicide
Suicide
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17989-x

Other articles of this Issue 1/2024

BMC Public Health 1/2024 Go to the issue

Research

Assessing the price levels of medical service and influential factors: evidence from China

Research

From womb to world: mapping gut microbiota-related health literacy among Italian mothers, a cross-sectional study

Research

Implementation processes of social network interventions for physical activity and sedentary behavior among children and adolescents: a scoping review

Research

Qualitative multi-stakeholder evaluation of the adoption, implementation and sustainment of the school-based dietary intervention “Jump-in”

Research

Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program on depression, emotion regulation, and sleep problems: A randomized controlled trial study on depressed elderly

Research

Research on collaborative development mechanism of multiple stakeholders in medical institutions based on rough set