Exploring the Patterns and Factors influencing Suicide Rates in Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Abstract

Suicide is considered one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide, and it is still an understudied subject in Pakistan. There are no national statistics on suicide; however, local and regional studies showed a higher inclination in some areas of Sindh, KP, and Gilgit-Baltistan. The data was extracted from my PhD research work which aimed to cross-investigate the suicide statistics, and document the trends of suicide and its linkages with socio-demographic information of suicide victims to explore the influence of later on. Qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS; case studies were included to support the description. The result showed that the female suicide rate is higher than male; students and housewives categorically on the top. Gunshots, hanging, and jumping into rivers were the mostly used tools to commit suicide. A comprehensive, policy-based study is necessary to curb the issue.