Three suicides. Different generations. Different triggers. Yet a quiet, unsettling thread appears to run through them—social isolation, manifesting in different forms.

In Attoor, three elderly sisters—two in their eighties and one aged 75 — consumed pesticide inside their home. One died the same day; the others succumbed days later in hospital. A note left behind mentioned a single word: Despair. In Palakkad, a 13-year-old boy was found hanging at home, reportedly distressed after being prevented from going out to play football. In Chottanikkara, a 16-year-old girl’s body was recovered from a quarry pond. Police suspect she was overwhelmed by grief over the reported death of a ‘Korean friend’, believed to be someone she knew online.

They are among the 32 reported suicide cases in the first 40 days of 2026 that made it into the newspapers, nine of them adolescents, four of them elderly, despair wearing different faces, but the echo of disconnection is hard to ignore. Psychiatrists and psychologists warn that this may be only the tip of the iceberg. Kerala has the second-highest suicide rate in India at 30.6, next only to Sikkim (40.2).

The number of suicides in Kerala increased from 10,162 in 2022 to 10,972 in 2023, according to the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India–2023 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Experts believe that by 2026, the suicide rate, defined as the number of suicides per one lakh population, calculated using total suicides in a year and the population (Census 2011), may have risen further.
“Adolescent and elderly suicides are increasing. Both groups are experiencing what may be termed a social disconnection syndrome,” said Dr Arun B Nair, professor of psychiatry at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.

“The younger generation, because of heavy engagement with digital technology, increasingly feel they do not need real-world connections. They are cut off from human interaction. Elderly persons face isolation because their children are often abroad, and many begin to maintain social distance from neighbours, believing they can manage without social contact. Ultimately, this isolation kills them,” he said.

Data until recently showed that suicides were more common among adults in the working-age group of 30 to 50. But this pattern is changing. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable rise among adolescents and the elderly, along with a worrying tendency to view suicide as an acceptable response to crises. Experts point out that there has been limited coordinated social or governmental intervention to address this shift.

“When we analyse data of those who come to hospitals after attempted self-harm, the majority are adolescents. The main reason they report is frustration. It is time to introduce govt initiatives that not only support teenagers but also help senior citizens reconnect with the rhythm of life,” said psychiatrist Dr C J John.

While psychiatry focuses on clinical vulnerabilities at the individual level, the rising suicide rates—particularly among adolescents and the elderly—call for deeper sociological autopsy. The ‘social glue’ that anchors individuals to collective life appears to be diminishing amid increasing digital seclusion and a shift from community-integrated living to competitive individualism, marked by declining social trust and peer solidarity.

“Suicide is rarely a purely personal act; it is also an indicator of the health of social institutions. In Kerala, we are witnessing a paradox where material advancement and high human development coexist with a thinning social fabric, leading to what can be termed developmental anomie,” said sociologist Antony Palackal.

Psychologist Baby Shireen explained that as the gap between people’s aspirations and their lived realities widens, some begin to believe that death is easier.

“In many cases, we found that though many were surrounded by people, they believed they had no one. Along with socio-cultural factors, bio-psycho factors also play a major role. These need to be identified and treated in time,” she said.

Experts say many factors that contribute to impulsive decision-making are already well known, but there has been little collective effort to address them. Among the key concerns is digital convenience, which has reduced the time gap between desire and gratification, leaving little room for reflection on consequences. Chronic sleep deprivation is another issue. Many now go to bed between 3am and 4am—often due to extended digital use among the young and health concerns among the elderly. Poor sleep duration and quality can translate into academic difficulties, emotional instability, aggression, depression, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts. Attention fragmentation is also emerging as a significant concern.

“This problem is likely to increase in the coming years unless there is social intervention. Suicide must be recognized as a public health issue, and we must come together to drive meaningful change—beginning at home,” said Dr Arun.

Sociologist Jyothi S Nair insists that this is the moment to rethink social discourse, which has increasingly centred on the ‘self’ rather than ‘one and all’. Now, in social settings, she noted, viruses from human to human often spread faster than empathy. “Just as public campaigns once shaped attitudes towards population control, it is time to create messages that encourage people to talk to each other and support one another. Conversations can save lives,” she said.

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