An in-depth study of a terrifying psychological–social failure.
Dr keshavulu MD psy Osm. Chairman : Telangana Suicides Prevention Committee.
This is not suicide… this is psychological contagion
One person thinking about suicide is one thing.
Two children, studying Intermediate, entering the same thought space is a red alert.
The real question is not:
How intense was the mother’s pain?
But rather:
How did that pain transfer into the children’s minds?
This resembles:
Shared Suicidal Cognition, or
A condition close to “Folie à Famille” (family-induced suicidal thinking)
👉 This is not an individual failure
👉 This is a sign that mental protection systems collapsed.
Education without awareness — why?
Both children were studying Intermediate.
That means:
They had logical thinking
They were learning science
They were exposed to the world
And yet…
❌ They couldn’t say, “Mom, this is not right”
❌ They couldn’t hold on to the thought, “We must live”
What does this mean?
👉 Our education system trains the mind,
👉 but not the emotions.
This is an educational system failure.
The mother’s mental state:
Loneliness + responsibility overload + silent depression
Look at her situation:
She: Software professional
Husband: Working in Dubai
Children: Living in hostels
Home: A life of solitude
She appeared to be a strong woman.
But inside, there was:
🔹 Emotional vacuum
🔹 Chronic loneliness
🔹 Invisible depression
Women like this do not cry.
They do not talk.
They do not ask for help.
👉 They collapse silently.
“Women’s health issues are increasing”
— but how are we understanding them?
Surveys point to:
Hormonal issues
Thyroid disorders
PCOD
Chronic fatigue
Sleep disturbances
But all of these directly affect the mind.
❗ A physical problem ≠ only a physical problem
❗ It can also be a psychological signal
Yet:
No one asks at home
No one notices at work
Society ignores it.
Why couldn’t the children stop their mother?
This is the most painful question.
🔸 1. Emotional Dependency Reversal
Instead of children emotionally depending on the mother,
the mother may have begun depending on the children.
In that state:
“We shouldn’t hurt Mom”
“Mom’s pain is because of us”
This guilt blocks resistance.
🔸 2. Authority Paralysis
In Indian families:
A mother’s word = final word
Questioning = disrespect
👉 Children are never trained to emotionally oppose parents.
🔸 3. Hostel Culture Disconnection
Hostels teach:
Discipline
Marks
But they do not teach: ❌ Emotional negotiation.
❌ Crisis response.
The husband’s role:
Physical distance → emotional disconnection
The husband was in Dubai.
Questions we must ask:
When did she last speak openly to him?
Did he know her fears?
Could he make her feel, “You are not alone”?
This is not blame.
This is a systemic gap.
👉 Long-distance marriages carry high emotional risk
👉 Especially for working women whose children live away.
Is this just “software job stress”?
No.
A software job includes:
Deadlines
Performance pressure
Job insecurity
Constant comparison
But the deeper problem is this: She was always required to be strong.
Those who are forced to be strong all the time
are often at the greatest risk.
This is not a personal tragedy
— this is a warning to society
What does this incident tell us?
🚨 Lack of mental health literacy
🚨 Lack of emotional communication skills
🚨 Absence of family counseling culture
🚨 No life-skills education in schools & colleges.
What should be done? (Recommendations)
🔹 At the family level
Regular emotional check-ins
Asking “Are you okay?” — and meaning it
🔹 In the education system
Mental health education
Crisis-coping skills
Parent–child emotional dialogue training
🔹 In workplaces
Mandatory psychological screening
Women-focused mental wellness programs
🔹 At government & societal level
Family counseling centers
Mental health monitoring in hostels
Suicide-prevention helplines with proactive outreach.
Conclusion :
“More than the mother who decided to die,
the children who were ready to die with her
are the greatest question facing our society.”
This is not just sorrow.
This is a collapsed mental-health system.
