(Trigger warning: This article mentions suicide)
BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The World Suicide Prevention Month campaign runs from September 10 to October 10, 2024.
With the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”, the campaign aims to alter the misconceptions and enhance mental health awareness. It also aims to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicide.
Department of Health Cordillera Senior Health Program Officer Orly Primo emphasized the need in reshaping the perception on suicide to promote understanding and prevention. He said that the theme also addresses common myths about suicide, such as the belief that talking about suicide may encourage attempts.
“In fact, kapag pinag-uusapan natin ang suicide, we’re opening doors for someone to talk about suicide, their emotions, their thoughts, at mabibigyan sila ng somehow therapy,” Primo explained.
He said primary care facilities and clinics are ready to extend help for those who are seeking for professional help. There are also available helplines including the DOH-CAR Mental Health Helpline (0938-757-6458), and National Mental Health Hotline (0917-899-8727 or 0966-351-4518).
Based on global statistics, around 703,000 people die by suicide, hence making it a major public health issue globally.
“When we disaggregate the data based on sex, makikita natin that the global suicide is higher among men than women. So, this is twice as [high] among men than women. In terms of the population the younger population are more affected, because over half or 58 percent of all deaths occur before the age of 50 years old,” Primo said.
Approximately 3.2 per 100,000 people commit suicide in the Philippines, which is considerably lesser than the world average of nine per 100,000, but it is still a significant number, according to Primo.
Young people aged between 15 and 29 years are the mostly affected while men have more suicidal tendencies compared to women with an estimate of 4.3 male suicides per 100,000 against only 2.1 female suicides per 100,000.
Primo clarified that not a single factor can cause suicide but among the factors, relationship issues are the most prevalent risk factor at 42%. He said that emotional distress from relationship problems could make people think about or even commit suicide, thus, it is important to offer help to those in such situations. He noted that in order to understand suicide, one must consider the complicated relationship between different risk factors instead of reducing it to one cause.
Primo emphasized that is important to understand terminologies when talking about suicide.
“Instead of using committed suicide, we use died by suicide or took their own life. Because when we use the word committed suicide, it is equivalent to a crime or a sin. So ang mangyayari po dito is that the persons experiencing hindi po sila nabibigyan ng opportunity to talk about it kasi parang na-ostracize sila. Meron silang aversion towards that kasi tayo, sinasabi natin na committed suicide para nating bini-verdict na sila ay makasalanan kasi they’re thinking about suicide.”
He also noted the protective factors of suicide that include access to effective behavioral health care; connectedness to individuals, family, community, and social institutions; cultural, religious or personal beliefs that discourage suicide; life skills including problem solving skills and coping skills and the ability to adapt to change, and self-esteem and a sense of purpose or meaning in life.
“Together, we can be the light so that through action, we can build a world where suicide is less prevalent. #BeTheLight.”
World Suicide Prevention Day is being observed every September 10 in efforts to draw attention to this important public health issue globally and to disseminate the message that suicide is preventable. (JDP/DEG with Fatima Gilledo- PIA CAR, PHINMA UPang Intern)
