Suicide rate increasing in the land of happiness

In 1972, the number one priority of new King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan was the country’s Happiness. It reads like the beginning of a children’s story, but it’s a real quantifiable concept. A measure of overall personal satisfaction weighed against detrimental factors such as stress and depression, Gross National Happiness remains the pride of ...

584151_090701_happiness2.jpg
584151_090701_happiness2.jpg
A Bhutanese woman gestures while shopping at a market in Thimphu on March 21, 2008. The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan with a population of less than 700,000 people is guided by the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH), a term coined by former king Jigme Singye Wangchuk, which takes precedence over Gross National Product (GDP). The National Assembly elections in Bhutan will be held on March 24, 2008, formally ending the Wangchuck dynasty's 100-year-rule and transforming the predominantly Buddhist nation to a parliamentary democracy. AFP PHOTO/ Deshakalyan CHOWDHURY (Photo credit should read DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images)

In 1972, the number one priority of new King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan was the country’s Happiness. It reads like the beginning of a children’s story, but it’s a real quantifiable concept. A measure of overall personal satisfaction weighed against detrimental factors such as stress and depression, Gross National Happiness remains the pride of this Himalayan state today, considered even more important than the Gross National Product.

Recently, however, its high GNH has been called into question with an inexplicable surge in the suicide rate. Kuensel, the country’s main newspaper, investigated and found some shocking numbers. BBC News elaborates:

‘In some villages, committing suicide has almost become a norm,” [Kuensel] says.

Official figures show that the highest number of suicides was in 2001, when 58 people killed themselves. The lowest number was in 2006, when 34 people committed suicide. Bhutan’s population is 682,000 people.

The figures have concerned the government- which is expanding a counselling service in schools to help teenagers who feel depressed.

Correspondents say that the figures are surprising, especially when the country’s two main religions- Hinduism and Buddism- believe that a person who commits suicide will not be reborn as human being.”

Secretary of the Gross National Happiness Commission Karma Tsheetem concludes, “It means there has to be a better balance between spiritual and the material.” Hopefully this balance will be restored and we’ll see a spike in the GNH soon.

AFP/Getty Images 

Read More On Central Asia | Culture

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.