According to the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), suicidal behaviour is a major public health problem across the world. Data from the WHO indicates that approximately one million people worldwide die by suicide each year.
The number of lives lost annually through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined.
In the Caribbean, there is little research conducted to determine some of the reasons why people choose to end their lives. Some of the earliest studies of suicides in the CARICOM region done during the nineties were carried out in Trinidad & Tobago and, subsequently, in Guyana and Suriname. Jamaica, Barbados and Saint Lucia are among the few countries in the region with very low rates of suicides, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Guyana is ranked fourth in the international suicide data.
With recent cases emerging in the last few weeks in Saint Lucia, citizens and medical professionals alike have expressed their concerns. As noted by Dr. Naomi Jn. Baptiste, Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Mental Wellness Centre, members of the public do not view or accept mental health disorders as a form of illness and they sometimes think that the affected person needs to “snap out of it,” without realising the individual may be experiencing the symptoms.
Notwithstanding the annual observance of Mental Health Day throughout the Caribbean, people who are suicidal are not always taken seriously, until it is too late. As a result, the opportunity to help them obtain proper medical care and address early symptoms of the disease is lost.
People who suffer from bio-polar disorder, schizophrenia, as well as those who are genetically predisposed to depression, are among the individuals who are most susceptible to committing suicide. Although stress may not necessarily cause a person to commit suicide, many suicide victims previously suffered from a pre-existing mental health illness, and as a result, when they experienced stress, it escalated the symptoms.
One of the best ways to minimize the risk of suicide is to recognise the warning signs and to be able to apply simple preventative measures. People who rank high in suicide statistics include prisoners, and victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. However, there are reported cases of victims who do not fall into any of the categories listed.
It is important to pay attention when someone is showing suicidal tendencies. The cry for help can be subtle or sometimes more obvious, depending on the individual’s state of mind and the extent of their mental illness. In some cases, they may have made several attempts at taking their own lives before they eventually succeed, hence knowing what signs to look for could save someone’s life.
The global rates of attempted suicides are 20 times higher than the rates of deaths by suicides. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) offers some warning signs to look for in persons who are prone to commit suicide.
- Constant talking or thinking about death
- Displaying feelings of deep sadness constantly
- Inability to sleep or eat
- Having a death wish or tempting fate by taking risks
- Losing interest in things they used to care about
- Putting affairs in order or changing a will and visiting or calling people to say goodbye.
In the majority of suicide cases, family members and people who were close to the victims, upon reflection, often speak about those signs that the victim had been exhibiting prior to his/her death. Recognising these warning signs can help save lives. The IASP offers the following guidelines, which can further help in preventing suicides:
- Never dismiss any signs of suicide as trivial. It is a cry for help.
- Always try to engage the person in subtle conversation. Let them know much you care.
- Never say to the person “you have so much to live for.” This can only lead to further suicidal thoughts.
- Encourage the individual to seek help.
- Never leave the person on his/her own.
- Remove all sharp objects or weapons, ropes and drugs that could cause additional harm.
However, the appropriate intervention does not end there. If the person has been prescribed medication, it is important to remain vigilant and encourage the individual to take their medication. Studies have shown that people who have recovered from stressful events in their lives are often astonished by some of the suicidal thoughts they had been entertaining prior to taking their medication. This is why support from family and friends is so important and highly recommended.
Let’s face it – we all experience ‘lows’ at times for various reasons but having the ability to rise up and regain some level of normalcy is never an easy task for anyone who is suffering from mental illness. Suicide is preventable. With a little knowledge, patience and understanding, we can all contribute to saving lives.
