<p>Hubbali: In 2023, 29 men died by suicide in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka">Karnataka</a> every day, according to the recent National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) report.</p><p>Family disputes, illness, mental issues, addictive substances and debts were the major reasons for the suicides.</p><p>The number of men ending their own life is steadily increasing over the last five years. Between 2018 and 2023, a total of 63,539 people died by suicide in the state, of them 48,125 were men and 15,400 women.</p><p>According to the data released by the NCRB, nearly 13,330 people died by suicide in Karnataka between January 1 and December 31 2023. Of them, nearly 10,232 were men and 3,091 women.</p><p>Compared to urban areas, suicides among rural men are higher, the data states.</p>.Manotsava 2025: Mental health fest dives into intimacy, identity & rising suicide rates.<p>Kalaburagi-based economist Sangeetha Kattimani, who analysed the NCRB data, says multiple factors, including work stress and family disputes, are silently killing men. Lack of mental health awareness among men needs to be addressed, she added.</p><p>Neeraj Shanthakumar, a men’s activist, says there is a myth that men don’t cry. "The actual issue is that a majority of men do not get a shoulder to cry on. There are no platforms or dedicated helplines for counseling," he says and adds that though the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, has been introduced by the government, it has not been implemented yet.</p><p>Advocate Jyoti Pandey says men are constantly judged for seeking help. "This makes them fear or shame in seeking help. Society has conditioned that it is not 'manly' to ask for help. His masculinity will be questioned."</p><p>Madhu Bhushan, an independent feminist activist, says any person dying by suicide is a matter of concern and need to be addressed. A higher number of men are dying by suicide for various reasons, including farming, job loss, mental health and others. However, in the case of women it is more of a structured pattern and patriarchy. "Women are dying mostly due to domestic issues," she says.</p>
<p>Hubbali: In 2023, 29 men died by suicide in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka">Karnataka</a> every day, according to the recent National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) report.</p><p>Family disputes, illness, mental issues, addictive substances and debts were the major reasons for the suicides.</p><p>The number of men ending their own life is steadily increasing over the last five years. Between 2018 and 2023, a total of 63,539 people died by suicide in the state, of them 48,125 were men and 15,400 women.</p><p>According to the data released by the NCRB, nearly 13,330 people died by suicide in Karnataka between January 1 and December 31 2023. Of them, nearly 10,232 were men and 3,091 women.</p><p>Compared to urban areas, suicides among rural men are higher, the data states.</p>.Manotsava 2025: Mental health fest dives into intimacy, identity & rising suicide rates.<p>Kalaburagi-based economist Sangeetha Kattimani, who analysed the NCRB data, says multiple factors, including work stress and family disputes, are silently killing men. Lack of mental health awareness among men needs to be addressed, she added.</p><p>Neeraj Shanthakumar, a men’s activist, says there is a myth that men don’t cry. "The actual issue is that a majority of men do not get a shoulder to cry on. There are no platforms or dedicated helplines for counseling," he says and adds that though the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, has been introduced by the government, it has not been implemented yet.</p><p>Advocate Jyoti Pandey says men are constantly judged for seeking help. "This makes them fear or shame in seeking help. Society has conditioned that it is not 'manly' to ask for help. His masculinity will be questioned."</p><p>Madhu Bhushan, an independent feminist activist, says any person dying by suicide is a matter of concern and need to be addressed. A higher number of men are dying by suicide for various reasons, including farming, job loss, mental health and others. However, in the case of women it is more of a structured pattern and patriarchy. "Women are dying mostly due to domestic issues," she says.</p>