At a seminar to mark the World Mental Health Day, eminent scholars discussed philosophical and psychiatric dimensions of 'suicide.' The seminar titled "Building Awareness: Reducing Risk, Mental Illness and Suicide" was organised by the Mental Health Research and Development Forum (MHRDF) at Aga Khan University.
Distinguished philosopher professor Manzoor Ahmed who is also the Rector of International Islamic University, Islamabad recounted the history of philosophical thought about the question of suicide. Calling it a complex question, he said suicide was a cluster concept, which cannot be treated separately from the social and psychological factors compelling a person to contemplate this act.
He explained that the Greco-Roman concept of suicide was attached with honour. Then the scholastic philosophy prevailed for a millennium which deemed suicide to be a cowardly act and declared that a person's life is God's gift which that person has no right to end. The modem philosophy questions this stringent instruction. Commenting on the disputed question of euthanasia, he suggested that all cases should be treated individually.
Professor Murad Moosa Khan, Chair Department of Psychiatry at AKU, gave an overview of the global situation of suicide. He disclosed that the number of younger people committing suicide is rising over the years, which poses the problem of most productive collective years being lost. He said that there were a million deaths due to suicide last year out of which 37 percent occurred in India and China. South Asia accounted for 11 percent of the total deaths, despite a lack of proper data.
Talking about the situation in Pakistan, he said that there is compelling evidence that suicide rates have been gradually increasing in Pakistan over the last few years. "The upward trend has been very dramatic with almost 3000 cases of suicide being reported in 2004 nationally, it is also well known that for every suicide there are at least another 10-20 attempts at suicide, which means there may be 30,000-60,000 cases of attempted suicide in Pakistan," he stated.
Earlier, Dr Badar Sabir Ali opened the proceedings by calling for increasing awareness and building understanding to give new hope to the people suffering from mental health issues.
As a part of its social responsibility and commitment to the advancement of health research and education, AKU regularly holds seminars, symposiums and events to raise awareness about health and education related issues which are of national importance and interest.-PR
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