November 18, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is confronting a persistent mental-health challenge, with men continuing to bear the brunt of conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Fresh assessments from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that the country’s male suicide rate stands at roughly 27 per 100,000 people—far above the global average of 10.5. Women, by comparison, record a rate of around five per 100,000, bringing the national figure to approximately 15 per 100,000.
The WHO’s 2022 analysis highlights striking age-related patterns. Among men, suicide becomes more common with advancing age, peaking among those aged 55 and above at an estimated 65 per 100,000.
For women, the highest rates are found among younger adults, particularly those aged between 17 and 25, where the figure reaches about 10 per 100,000.
The study further notes that the majority of these deaths were caused by hanging, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of recorded cases. Other methods included pesticide ingestion—still an issue in many rural communities—along with a mixture of non-pesticide poisoning and other means.
Globally, the WHO reports that suicide represents more than one in every hundred deaths, with at least twenty attempts for every life lost. In 2019 alone, around 703,000 people across all age groups died by suicide, with lower-middle-income countries—where most of the world’s population lives—bearing the greatest share. Among those aged 15 to 29, suicide ranked as the fourth leading cause of mortality.
Local health workers in Sri Lanka say the figures reflect not only long-standing pressures but also newer stresses, including economic uncertainty and social isolation. Some community organisations are now calling for better early-intervention services, greater public awareness, and more culturally sensitive outreach efforts in the hope of easing the burden on those who feel they have nowhere else to turn.
