LAHORE: With the theme of creating hope through action, ‘World Suicide Prevention Day’ was marked on Monday with a resolve to promote positive thinking and healthy lifestyle approach, to prevent suicides tendency.

To mark the day, different functions were held in which speakers highlighted that suicide is one of psychological disorders which happens due to various socio-economic factors and situations of human mind which compels him to end life.

It may be noted that this day was first established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. According to WHO there are 700 000 suicides per year worldwide.

The Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) and Ameer Uddin Medical College Principal Prof Dr Muhammad Al-Fareed Zafar, while talking to the participants of a walk organized by the Department of Psychiatry, Lahore General Hospital (LGH), said that instead of going to so-called spiritual healers for “Taweez and goons”, people must take medical advice and get treatment from psychiatrists for their psychological problems including depression so that they can treat their mental health issues.

According to him, it is not appropriate to associate suicide with poverty and economic hardship, as no one can attempt to end the life only on this basis.

Speakers maintained that rate of suicide in America, Japan, Great Britain and other developed countries is higher than that of poor countries. To solve this problem, we must consider and promote the teachings of Islam.

Prof Nudrat Sohail said that LGH has a state-of-the-art psychiatric unit where senior doctors are available to treat the patients.

Dr Faiza Athar said that the causes of suicide include accidental trauma, drug use, relationship breakdown, financial problems, and sudden death of a loved one and lack of mental balance.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023