# Why Desperate Families Choose Suicide as Escape

> Parents in Karachi kill children in joint suicide pact to escape despair.
- Title: Why Desperate Families Choose Suicide as Escape · Dawn
- Summary: Parents in Karachi kill children in joint suicide pact to escape despair. Karachi families commit joint suicide with children due to severe mental health…
- Keywords: karachi, suicide, mental health, joint suicide, economic distress, psychiatric conditions, suicide pact, child mortality, news, politics, Desperate, Families
- Source: Dawn — https://dawn.com/news/2038871/what-makes-desperate-families-adopt-suicide-as-escape
- Author: Mohammad Asim Rehman
- Published: 2026-10-22T00:44:39+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: karachi, suicide, mental health, joint suicide, economic distress, psychiatric conditions, suicide pact, child mortality, news, politics
## Karachi suicide incidents
Two families in karachi killed children in joint suicide pacts this month.
## Mental health expert analysis
Senior psychiatrist dr shoaib ahmed explains how diseased minds rationalize extreme acts.
## Suicide pacts explained
Couples form suicide pacts to escape unbearable poverty and social distress.
## Mercy killing rationale
Parents view child death as mercy to avoid further suffering in a painful world.
## Psychiatric conditions
Brain chemistry and mental illness contribute to suicidal thoughts.

> brain chemistry can play a role in suicidal thoughts, but suicide is rarely explained by "brain chemistry alone"
## Contagious anxiety
Mental health issues spread within households causing shared despair.
## Dominant personality effects
One person's mental state influences others in the household.
## Social and economic pressures
Financial crises and job loss drive families toward hopelessness.
## Key takeaway

Karachi families commit joint suicide with children due to severe mental health crises and economic distress.