Tejashri Kachhawah, N.M.Kale, P.P.Bhople & A.H.Khade

The present study was conducted in highly suicide hit Yavatmal districts of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra with exploratory design of social research. Total 60 victim's households were interviewed from 58 villages of 16 talukas of Yavatmal district during 2012-2013. The results revealed that that indebtedness (100.00%), deteriorated economic position (73.33%), crop failures (70.00%), alcohol use disorder (36.67%), responsibility of daughter/ sister's marriage, self health problem (26.67%), introvert personality (21.66%) are the most common risk factors identified with the selected victims. Amongst more than half, 51.67 per cent of the deceased farmers one of four risk factors were associated, while five to seven and eight to ten risk factors were associated with 43.33 and 5.00 per cent of the cases, respectively. The annual income, socio-economic status, land holding, crop grown, cropping intensity were observed to have negative significant co-relationship with the identified number of risk factors of suicide, whereas, crop failure, alcoholism and family dispute had a positive significant relationship with the identified number of risk factors of suicide. The value of the regression coefficient brings into light that the annual income was observed to have significant negative relationship with the identified number of risk factors of suicide, whereas, crop failure, alcoholism, victim's health and family dispute had shown positive and significant relationship with the identified number of risk factors of suicide. Hence appropriate policy measures have to be initiated in the study area for overall rural and economic development of the farmers.