An investigation into the Role of early Marriage in developing suicidal Ideation among Girls in Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Early marriage is a common practice in African and Asian regions, including Pakistan. For females, early marriages have numerous adverse consequences, including those that are mental, physical, social and educational. However, so far, the association between early marriages and suicidal ideation and behaviours haven’t been well researched. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between suicidality and early marriage. This study was conducted in Chakdara and Ouch region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This study is framed under a mix-method research design and is cross-sectional. Sampling for the study was done in multiple phases. First, girls were identified who were married before 18 years of age, and second, there was an identification of girls who were not happy in marital life. A total of 120 girls were identified as a target population, and 92 were sampled through the Uma Sekaran sample size table. Third, 2 completed suicides and 4 uncompleted suicide attempts were identified, comprising a total of 6 cases among girls. An SIQ questionnaire devised by William M. Reynolds was utilized for judging suicidal ideation among the 92 sampled girls. Informal interviews were carried out for the 6 cases of completed and uncompleted suicides from key informants (family members and nearby people). The information collected was analysed quantitatively (data collected through the SIQ questionnaire), descriptive and inferential statistics were used, and data collected through informal interviews was transcribed and narrated. Findings show that suicidal ideation prevails among girls that are married before 18 years of age, and in some cases, it leads to suicide attempts. The most notable causes of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among girls married early include stress due to an inability to take care of the husband and his family in the expected way, the burden of household responsibilities, relationship issues with the husband and/or his family, mental changes with pregnancy and rejection by parents.