Local blame demons for a wave of suicide in a village in India. Science, however, has another explanation

Placed in the center of a strange collision between superstition and science, people are trying their best to explain a very strange and gloomy "epidemic" that has conquered the whole region in central India, wrote iflscience .
Only in 2015 Kargon registered 381 suicides. In particular, in Badi village, with a population of 2,500 people are reported 350 suicides for 20 years. During the first three months of 2016 in Badi as 80 people were killed, writes Times of India.
The mother and brother Rajendra Sisdiya - the current mayor of the village - also committed suicide. Sisdiya was elected leader after the previous leader - his cousin - hanged himself outside his home two months ago.
What explains this wave of deaths? Opinions are divided between "demonic possession" socioeconomic unevenness and even pesticides.
Kargon is one of the poorest and culturally isolated regions in the country. Accordingly, the fact that many people argue that the problem is a result of poverty and poor health, is not surprising.
"Depression is not something that people here can easily recognize. When you can not find a specific reason, they associate the problem of unexplained phenomena as demonic possession, "said Dor Sirkant Reddy, a psychiatrist at Indore.
Dr. Reddy speculated that the episodes of depression and schizophrenia may be triggered by excessive use of farm pesticides.

"Depression can be caused by other problems, not just financial - says psychiatrist. - Years ago, in a specific region in China had committed suicide many farmers. Recent studies have found that the insecticides used there contained a highly toxic substance (organophosphate). It was she who caused depressive psychiatric conditions. "
The study, commissioned by the World Health Organization is detailed 10 rural communities in Zhejiang province. It found a clear correlation between people who have had easier access to pesticides (particularly organophosphates) and the rate of suicide and mental illness. Although other studies encountering this connection, the researchers admit that the discovery of the actual biological mechanisms of all this are not very clear and remain controversial.
Amid all this local desperately trying to find a specific answer to the problem. It has already formed a special committee pending a full investigation of the wave of suicides.
"The situation is really terrible and we must act quickly - said Ashok Verma, founder of the committee. - The residents lack confidence and motivation. It is important to be advised. "

source: https://pixabay.com, Psy blog