Revisiting Suicide: From a Socio-Psychological Lens

This book provides a socio-psychological enquiry of the phenomenon of suicide in the Indian context. It addresses the rising trend of suicides across the world and through case studies explores its primary reasons, the after-effects on survivors and families and measures to prevent them.

The volume focuses on deciphering the social and psychological meanings associated with suicide. Through an examination of psycho-social autopsies of numerous cases, it highlights the patterns and trends which emerge around mental well-being, suicide and bereavement. It examines the primary roadblocks for robust suicide prevention measures and provides great insights into behavioral and personality categories and their relationship with suicide.

Offering theoretical and empirical perspectives on the issue of suicide and self-harm, this book will be of interest to students, researchers, and faculty of behavioral sciences, psychology, social anthropology, demography, criminology, social work and sociology. It will also be an essential read for psychologists and counselors, policy makers, NGOs, CSOs, legal experts and media personnel working in the area of suicide prevention and research.

Kanchan Bharati is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Culture and Development, Vadodara. For a year she worked as Academic Associate at the Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru. She completed her higher education in the field of Sociology and Social Gerontology. She has authored and co-authored papers on aging and other socially relevant issues in important journals, edited books and co-edited Marriage and Divorce in India: Shifting Concepts and Changing Practices (2019) with Lancy Lobo.

Lancy Lobo holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology and a Doctoral degree in Sociology from the Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, India. He has authored, co-authored and edited 25 books, and scores of mimeographs and articles based on research over 40 years. He has been a Professor and the Director of Centre for Social Studies, based in Surat, an institute under the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Delhi. He was an International Visiting Fellow at the Woodstock Centre, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., in the year 1999-2000. He is the Founder Director of Centre for Culture and Development, Vadodara, which is completing 20 years. Some of his latest publications include the following: with Jayesh Shah (eds.), The Legacy of Nehru: Appraisal and Analysis (2018); with A.M. Shah and Lancy Lobo (eds.), Essays on Suicide and Self-Immolation (2018); with Kanchan Bharati (eds.), Marriage and Divorce in India: Changing Concepts and Practices (2019); and with Jayesh Shah, How People Vote? Civic Literacy and Political Participation (2019).

Jayesh Shah is working as a Research Consultant at the Centre for Culture and Development, Vadodara. He also holds post-graduate diplomas in Industrial Relations, Labor Laws, Organization Behavior, Clinical Psychology and Computer Science. He has served as Chief Executive Officer in a leading international company for more than ten years. Earlier he worked as freelance Management Consultant for more than ten years in Gujarat. He has conducted extensive research on labor, employment and industry in his career. Some of his publications include the following, with Lancy Lobo; How People Vote? Civic Literacy and Political Participation (2019); Gujaratna Shalakiya Sikshanno Xray (Gujarati) (2019); (eds.), The Legacy of Nehru: Appraisal and Analysis (2018); and (eds.), Democracy in India: Current Debates and Emerging Challenges (2017).