The childlessness crisis: A mental health framework for infertility-linked suicides in India

Abstract

Background

In pronatalist societies like India, infertility and impotence are not just biomedical issues but carry deep psychosocial stigma. These reproductive challenges often lead to emotional distress, social exclusion, and suicidality. Although suicides linked to infertility and impotence account for a small percentage of total suicides, they represent a critical and under-recognized cause of death. This article aims to conceptualize infertility-linked suicide as a public mental health concern shaped by gender norms, societal expectations, and systemic healthcare gaps.

Methods

This conceptual and policy-focused article adopts an interdisciplinary framework that integrates psychological theory, policy analysis, and demographic trend examination. It draws on data from the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) reports (2014–2022) by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), specifically focusing on suicides where infertility or impotence is reported as a contributing factor. Supplementary insights are drawn from academic literature on stigma, gender, and reproductive mental health in India.

Results

The analysis reveals that suicides related to infertility and impotence, though numerically few, remain consistent across the years and are disproportionately under-addressed. Young women (18–29 years) are especially vulnerable due to early reproductive expectations, while men (30–44 years) experience delayed psychological distress linked to masculine identity and reproductive failure. Rural location, caste identity, and limited access to mental health services intensify this suffering.

Conclusion

Infertility-related suicides demand urgent public health attention. The article advocates for gender-sensitive, culturally informed mental health services embedded within reproductive healthcare and calls for stigma reduction, policy reforms, and inclusive reproductive rights frameworks in India.