Tragic numbers

Monday, 17 September 2012 00:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka has had a long history of suicide, with numbers increasing fourfold since 1950, according to the Census and Statistics Department. In recent years, preventive action by groups has brought down the numbers, but serious challenges exist as latest statistics released by Police have shown.

It was reported that 1,778 suicides had been reported to have taken place so far this year. Police said among them were 41 boys and 77 girls below the age of 16 and 397 women. According to reports, the highest number of people who were reported to have committed suicide was between the ages of 40 and 55.

Police cited the break-up of love affairs and marriages, addiction to drugs and alcohol, family disputes, mental disorder and the death of loved ones as some of the common reasons for committing suicide. Police data shows nearly 3,864 people had committed suicide in 2010, while last year it was 3,770. This is a shocking 10 people per day, with 2012 numbers likely to be at the same level.

A study done in 1995 in more than 80 countries worldwide by the University of Harvard USA, Sri Lanka was found to have the highest rate of suicide in the world at 47/100,000. According to local statistics, a majority of these suicides, almost 75%, came from the rural communities of the country.

Sumithrayo, which runs the best-known suicide counselling programme in the country, says that 50 to 55% of the suicides islandwide are pesticide related. The commonest method used both amongst men and women is the ingestion of agricultural poisons.

As Police numbers show, more men than women are prone to committing suicide. The Census and Statistics Department insists the gender gap appears to be widening over the years, as reflected by the relative frequency of suicides. The probability of a man committing suicide was double that of a woman in 1950, whereas it is found to be more than three times higher in 1999.

Local media reports have also highlighted the fact that Sri Lanka’s ageing population is vulnerable to suicide because reduced income, loneliness and depression are more common among the aged. Among men, suicidal tendencies appear to rise after 65 years of age, and increase considerably thereafter with the advancement of old age.

As traditional societies break down and elders are separated from their families, it becomes harder to combat the feeling of uselessness that makes people question the point of living. Sri Lanka’s rapidly ageing society will face a massive challenge within the next decade as it deals with a shifting paradigm where more elderly people will need counselling and interactive social networks such as senior centres that have evolved in the West.

The high suicide rates are more baffling since the country has an average lifespan of 72 years and high literacy rates and health conditions almost on par with developed countries. Yet Sri Lanka has far higher suicide rates than much poorer countries, often topping the list for South Asia. Wider mitigation methods, including awareness, counselling and support groups, are essential, along with more funding and openness in understanding the root causes. A larger and more concentrated effort is essential if these tragic numbers are to be reversed.