Over 5,600 farmers committed suicide in 2014

Over 5,600 farmers committed suicide last year, Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said on Wednesday.

Replying to a question by Communist Party of India-Marxist member C.P. Narayanan in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said a total of 1,31,666 people committed suicide in 2014.

"These included 5,650 farmers, 20,148 housewives, 8,068 students, 2,308 debt-ridden people and 7,104 mentally ill," he said.

He said major mental health problems like depression, schizophrenia, addiction to alcohol, affective disorders, drug dependence, adjustment disorders, mood and personality problems were identified as reasons among those who committed or attempted suicide.