Kathmandu - Nepal's suicide rate has nearly doubled in the past four years, blamed mostly on growing depression among youth, a media report said Saturday.

The Kathmandu Post newspaper said the number of suicides reported by police rose by 40 per cent in the past four years.

Official statistics showed 2,789 suicides in 2007, up from 1,992 in 2004.

The newspaper said 659 cases were reported during the first three months of 2008, keeping pace with the record 2007 total.

"The actual number of suicides could be much higher than shown by the police records as people hesitate to register suicide due to social stigma associated with it," the newspaper quoted psychiatrist Dr Nirakar Man Shrestha as saying.

Most of the suicide cases involved young people and the most common methods were hanging, consuming poison, jumping from cliffs and shooting themselves, the newspaper said.

Shrestha said depression among Nepalese youths was the main cause of increasing suicides.

"The new unstable political environment as well as ever-widening gap between rich and poor, and family and social pressure to meet their expectations, are driving people to commit suicide," Shrestha said.

Doctors said the government has not given priority to treating mental illnesses.

"The urgent need is to spread awareness that mental illnesses can be treated through medical counselling, medication and strong family support," Shrestha said.

"But the government is yet to extend psychiatric counselling at regional hospital where most of the poor youths live," Shrestha said.

The government in 1997 published a national mental health policy which envisioned expansion of mental health services to regional levels. However, that plan has yet to be implemented. (dpa)