Suicides on the rise in Pakistan

[Naveed Yaseen]

According to a study conducted by the Aga Khan University (AKU), the number of suicides is steadily rising in Pakistan, with an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 incidents per year.

Almost 34 per cent of the population, mostly under 30 years of age, suffers from common mental disorders and more than 90 per cent of suicides can be linked to depression, according to Dr Murad Moosa Khan, Chairperson of the AKU Department of Psychiatry.

In order to raise awareness, World Suicide Prevention Day is commemorated on September 10 every year by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).

“More than a million people worldwide commit suicide each year. This is greater than the number of people killed in wars, terrorist activities and homicides,” said IASP President Prof. Brian Mishara. Over six million people are affected each year by the disastrous impact of the suicide of a close friend or family member.

The WHO estimates that globally there is one suicide every two minutes. In Muslim countries, where suicide rates are generally low, Pakistan stands out as an anomaly. A growing socio-economic crisis, civil unrest and other social burdens have worsened the situation.

The inability of the government to resolve these issues increases frustration, which converts to depression. “One of the factors in suicide is hopelessness. The more depressed you are the more hopeless you feel,” said Dr Khan.

Suicide attempts that do not succeed have a psychological, social and economic cost.

Suicide results from several factors, including mental illness, poverty, substance abuse, social isolation, losses, relationship difficulties and workplace problems.

To be effective, suicide prevention needs an approach that acknowledges the multiple causes of suicidal behaviour.

Dr Khan says that an immediate mental health intervention is needed in Pakistan. “For this, we need to reduce access to commonly-used methods of suicide, which in Pakistan include pesticides or poisons,” he said. Training of female health workers to identify and report potential suicide cases as a pre-emptive measure is necessary in this regard.

He further said that spreading education and awareness in communities and giving support to people who have attempted suicides should be a priority. “The media can play an extensive and very important role in helping us spread this awareness,” he said.

To understand the scope of the problem in Pakistan and to discuss the socio-economic, legal and other aspects of suicide, the Suicide Prevention and Research Interest Group (SPRInG) at the AKU is organising a seminar and workshop titled “Suicide: Hidden Realities in Pakistan”, to be held at the AKU Auditorium on Wednesday September 30, 2009.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=197758