Farmers' suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India: a qualitative exploration of their causes.
Farmers' suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India: a qualitative exploration of their causes.
复制标题
DOI：
10.5249/jivr.v4i1.68
复制
发表时间：
2012-01-01
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Deshmukh, Pradeep R
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dongre, Amol R;Deshmukh, Pradeep R
目的：探讨马哈拉施特拉邦维达尔巴地区农民自杀的各种可能原因及其共同因素，并提出解决方案。方法：在印度马哈拉施特拉邦维达尔巴地区安吉初级卫生中心周围的23个村庄进行形成性研究。使用了自由列表和堆放排序练习的三角测量。数据采用Anthropac 4.98.1/X软件进行统计分析。随后举行了半结构化的焦点小组讨论。结果：农民认为债务、毒瘾、环境问题、农产品价格低、压力和家庭责任、政府冷漠、灌溉不良、耕种成本增加、私人放贷、使用化肥和农作物歉收是农民自杀的原因。与会者提出了解决办法，如农民自力更生和能力建设，对弱势农民的监测和支持系统，支助和咨询服务，村级透明的救济物资发放制度。结论：维达尔巴农民自杀是社会、政治和环境制约因素复杂交互作用的结果。因此，需要采取全面干预措施，确保农民自力更生，建设现代耕作技术，建立对弱势农民的监测和支持系统，建立村级、透明的一揽子救济发放制度，以防止农民在不久的将来自杀。此外，还需要加强国家初级卫生保健层面的精神卫生计划，为农村弱势农民提供支持和咨询。
OBJECTIVE: To explore the various perceived reasons for farmers' suicides in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, their common factors, and to suggest solutions.METHODS: The present formative research was undertaken in the 23 villages surrounding the Anji Primary Health Centre, located in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. A triangulation of free list and pile sort exercises was used. The data was analyzed by Anthropac 4.98.1/X software. This was followed by a semi-structured focus group discussion. To increase the validity of the results, these findings were presented to the participants and later they were circulated to the 26 farmers' clubs in the villages for comment and discussion during their monthly, village-based meetings.RESULTS: Farmers perceived debt, addiction, environmental problems, poor prices for farm produce, stress and family responsibilities, government apathy, poor irrigation, increased cost of cultivation, private money lenders, use of chemical fertilizers and crop failure as the reasons for farmers' suicides. Participants suggested solutions such as self-reliance and capacity building among farmers, a monitoring and support system for vulnerable farmers, support and counseling services, a village-level, transparent system for the disbursement of relief packages.CONCLUSIONS: Farmers' suicides in Vidarbha are caused by the complex interplay of social, political and environmental constraints. Hence, a comprehensive intervention to ensure self-reliance and capacity building among farmers in modern farming techniques , monitoring and support system for vulnerable farmers, a village-level, transparent system for disbursement of relief packages is required to prevent farmer suicides in the near future. Apart from this, there is a need to strengthen the National Mental Health Program at primary health care level to offer support and counseling to vulnerable farmers in rural area.