Suicides are steadily rising in Pakistan, with an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 suicides per year enhancing urgency to raise awareness about the issue, its causes and implications. Pakistan observed World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10 had also emerged to be a country where mental illnesses are increasingly witnessed even among the most productive age group.
Dr Murad Moosa Khan, Chair and Professor Department of Psychiatry, AKU providing details of his recently conducted study said almost 34 percent of the population, mostly under 30 years of age, suffer from common mental disorders and more than 90 per cent of suicides could be linked to depression.
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) had organised the day this year with more than a million people world-wide die by suicide each year. "The more depressed you are the more hopeless you become," said Dr Khan adding that suicide attempts that do not succeed have a psychological, social and economic cost.
He reiterated that one of the factors in suicide was hopelessness. WHO estimates that the cost of attempted suicides, in terms of loss of productivity and health and social care, was billions of dollars per year. These attempts require medical treatment, and in many cases, render the main breadwinners incapable of earning a living, further burdening family income.
"More people kill themselves than die in all wars, terrorist activities and homicides," said Professor Brian Mishara, President of IASP. "Many millions more make suicide attempts severe enough to need medical treatment, and over six million people are affected each year by the disastrous impact of the suicide of a close friend or family member." he added.
Globally, WHO estimates that there was one suicide death every two minutes. In Muslim countries, where suicide rates were generally seen to be lower, Pakistan stands as an anomaly.
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.
"There is need for an immediate mental health intervention in Pakistan. We need to reduce access to commonly used methods of suicide, which in Pakistan include pesticides or poisons. We also need to train government lady health workers to identify and report potential suicide cases as a pre-emptive measure," said Dr Khan adding, "there is need to spread education and awareness in communities and give support to people who have attempted suicides or have been affected by family members who have died from suicide."
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 University was organising a seminar and workshop on Suicide: Hidden Realities in Pakistan, to be held at the AKU Auditorium on Wednesday September 30, 2009.
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