New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- A young person dies by suicide, and almost immediately we search for a reason. Was it an examination? Academic pressure? A relationship? Bullying? Family expectations? A psychiatric illness? The uncomfortable truth is that suicide rarely has a single cause. More often, several vulnerabilities converge at a particular moment, while the person feels increasingly trapped and unable to see an alternative.

The recent death of an IIT Bombay student has once again brought this conversation into public view. We should resist the temptation to turn an unresolved death into a simple story. The larger question is what environments can do to prevent a young person from reaching a point where suicide feels like the only escape.

Why are young people particularly vulnerable?

Young adulthood is already a period of identity formation, uncertainty and intense comparison. In high-pressure institutions such as IITs, medical colleges and other competitive programmes, achievement can become deeply intertwined with identity. A student may not experience a poor result as simply, "I performed badly." It can become, "I am a failure."

The problem becomes more complicated when the surrounding culture leaves little psychological room for failure. Students may simultaneously experience competition, sleep deprivation, isolation from family, financial or social pressures, perfectionism and fear of disappointing people who have invested enormous hopes in them. And there is another important misconception: not every person who dies by suicide has a known psychiatric illness. Depression, bipolar disorder, substance use and other mental health conditions can increase vulnerability, but suicide is a complex phenomenon involving psychological, social and environmental factors.

Myths about suicide

Myth 1: Talking about suicide encourages it.

It does not. Asking directly about suicidal thoughts can open a conversation and reduce isolation.

Myth 2: People who talk about suicide are only seeking attention.

A statement about suicide should be taken seriously, regardless of the person's intention.

Myth 3: Successful people do not die by suicide.

Achievement is not protection against psychological distress.

Myth 4: Suicide is always caused by depression.

There are multiple pathways to suicidal thinking and behaviour.

Myth 5: One examination causes suicide.

An event may precipitate a crisis, but it should not automatically be assumed to explain the entire story.

Biggest myth: Suicide prevention is the job of psychiatrists alone.

Families, friends, teachers, institutions and communities all have a role.

What is the one thing to do if you are thinking about suicide?

Do not stay alone with the thought. Tell one person clearly.

Not, "I'm very stressed."

Say: "I'm having thoughts of killing myself, and I'm worried I might act on them. Please stay with me and help me get professional help."

Stay with another person, move away from anything you could use to harm yourself, and seek urgent professional help if you feel you may act on the thoughts.

What can a friend do?

Take the statement seriously. Ask directly about suicide. Listen without judgement. Stay with the person if immediate risk is present. Help them reach professional care. Do not promise to keep a potentially life-threatening situation secret.

Institutions have responsibilities too

A counselling centre is not enough. Faculty do not need to become therapists. They need to know how to notice, how to ask and what to do next. Institutions also need accessible psychiatric care, trusted grievance mechanisms, protection from discrimination and harassment, psychologically safe disciplinary processes and structured support after a suicide.

Suicide prevention is not about removing pressure from young people's lives. It is about ensuring that pressure does not become isolation, that failure does not become humiliation, and that asking for help does not become another source of shame.

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Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.