Suicide rising across the world
People are under the ever rising pressure of stress, anxiety and depression in current times across the globe. As the life is becoming more and more complicate, a number of humans find themselves being not able to cope up with such strain. In such times, many of them go in the trap of tobacco, alcohol or drug addiction, or substance abuse. Some even take extreme steps and end their lives to be free from their so-called ‘suffering’.
The latest figures are reflecting even darker picture with more suicides each year. Suicide remains a major cause of global deaths annually, taking more lives than HIV, malaria, breast cancer, war and homicide, says report. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, over 0.7 million people, or 1 in 100, ended their own lives in 2019. The United Nations health agency presented its new ‘LIVE LIFE’ guidelines to help nations decline suicide rate by a third before 2030.
Ever rising suicide across the world
Due to Covid-linked widespread job losses and financial crunch accompanying with social isolation, risk factors have jumped. The health agency calls the world to not ignore suicides as their prevention becomes even more imperative in these crisis times. Among youngsters aged between 15 and 29, suicide was the fourth major cause of death following road injury, tuberculosis and interpersonal violence, says the study – Suicide Worldwide in 2019. Amid varying rate between countries, regions and gender, men took their lives over twice more than women did.
While men suicide rates are higher in high-income counties, suicide rates for women were greater in lower-and-middle-income nations. In 2019, nine people among every 100,000 of population took their own life globally. Higher suicide rates were observed in Africa with 11.2, Europe with 10.5, and Southeast Asia with 10.2 people per 100,000. The Eastern Mediterranean region saw the lowest rate of 6.4, last year. Though global suicide rate saw 36 percent fall between 2000 and 2019, the Americas Region experienced a 17 percent rise.
Serious health issue, but preventable
Over 700,000 people die of suicide annually, more than by any other type of violence, including armed conflict, says WHO. In 2019, low- and middle-income countries saw around 77 percent of global suicides. The most common methods of suicide worldwide are ingestion of pesticide, hanging and firearms. For each of the suicide there are many more people who have attempted to take their lives. For people, in general, the single most important risk factor for suicide a prior suicide attempt. Suicide has a well-established link with mental disorders.
A serious mental health problem, the suicide is preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions. The UN health body suggests a comprehensive multisectoral suicide prevention strategy for effective national responses in this regard. According to earlier researches, poor mental health during adolescence could be a prime reason of suicide. That is also the biggest risk factor of alcohol and substance use and violent behaviour. Mental health experts suggest parents to start nurturing their children’s mental health at an early age.
