SH1687

Suicides Up in Last 20 Years in PH,

Mostly among Young - NSO

MANILA, Philippines - The suicide rate among Filipinos has gone up in the last 21 years with the majority
of cases involving young people aged 24 years old and below, according to studies. They also showed that
in most instances, the person who committed suicide did so during summer or in the morning when all
family members had gone off to work or school, leaving the house empty. Based on records culled from the
National Statistics Office, the suicide rate from 1984 to 2005 went up from 0.46 to seven out of every
200,000 men. On the other hand, it jumped from 0.24 to two for every 200,000 women. While the figures
might seem insignificant compared with those from neighboring countries that recorded the highest suicide
rates, the numbers have gone up from 1984 to 2005, especially among the Filipino youth, said Dr. Dinah
Nadera, a psychiatrist and an associate professor of the University of the Philippines' Open University who
has been working on a suicide prevention strategy.

"This simply means that there is an increasing trend of suicide (especially among the youth, particularly in
the age group 5 to 14 and 15 to 24," Nadera said at last week's media consultation on suicide prevention
conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Manila. Meanwhile, a study of around 300 cases
collected from the records of hospitals and the police in 2008 and 2009 also revealed that the majority of
suicides were carried out at home during summer, particularly during the Lenten season when Catholics
observe fasting, prayer and penitence.

"Of course, this is based on findings from selected cases. We are not saying that this is the general trend
for both (suicide and attempted suicide cases)," Nadera said. Most of the suicides that were studied
occurred in the morning- between 8:01 a.m. and noon--and on weekdays. "This is the time when people
usually leave the house and go to work and this person who wants to die goes back when no one there,"
she explained. In contrast, the least number of cases were reported between 12:01 a.m. and 4 a.m., Nadera
noted.

The study also showed that the leading methods" chosen by those who decided to end their lives was
hanging, strangulation and suffocation. For those who tried to kill themselves but ended up just sustaining
injuries, the preferred means ranged from self-poisoning (mainly ingestion of silver cleaner) to exposure to
other unspecified chemicals and noxious substances. Nadera also noted that not all cases were due to
depression. She stressed that while it might be a contributory factor, other factors could lead to a person's
decision to end one's life such as low income and unemployment, medical conditions such as heart
diseases and cancer; and marital status.

In the Western Pacific Region, which consists of 37 countries and areas, including the Philippines, suicide
is the leading cause of death in the age group of 15 to 39, according to Wang. "There are big gaps to
effective suicide interventions and these are gaps in knowledge, gaps in translations of existing knowledge
into interventions, and gaps in mental health and crisis support system," Wang told the media recently.

Reference:
Uy, J. R. (2012, 15). Suicides up in last 20 years in PH, mostly among young – NSO. INQUIRER.net.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/229227/suicides-up-in-last-20-years-in-ph-mostly-among-young-
nso#ixzz3vqQjIdPC

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