------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED, The time is come for the people of Goa to ORGANISE not AGONISE !! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre (GDRC) Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Building Awareness - Reducing Risk: Mental Illness and Suicide ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- by Karl Pinto de Sousa
Since 1992, October 10 has been observed the world over as World Mental Health Day. It is an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health, and aims to promote mental health advocacy and educate the public. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as a state of physical mental and social well being. Whereas Physical health refers to the absence a) Objective signs which prevent the body from functioning properly like high Blood pressure or b)Subjective signs such as pain or nausea. Mental health is defined as the capacity of the individual, the group and the environment to interact with one another in ways that promote subjective well-being, the optimal development and use of mental abilities (cognitive, affective and relational), the achievement of individual and collective goals consistent with justice and the attainment and preservation of conditions of fundamental equality. A mental health problem may spring from external causes, such as the existence of harsh environmental conditions, unjust social structures, tensions within the community or a biological factor. Barriers to effective treatment of mental illness include lack of recognition of the seriousness of mental illness and lack of understanding about the benefits of services. Policy makers, insurance companies, health and labour policies, and the public at large - all discriminate between physical and mental problems. Every year the theme of the World Mental Health Day changes. This year the focus is on Suicide as a leading cause of premature and preventable death. The theme is "Building Awareness - Reducing Risk: Mental Illness and Suicide". To understand the magnitude of the problem of suicide let us look at some facts. The bare facts: 450 million people worldwide are affected by mental, neurological or behavioural problems at any time. About 873,000 people die by suicide every year. In this new century there have been more than 5 million suicide deaths worldwide. This toll is higher than the total number of world deaths each year from war and homicide combined. Suicides in India (Data taken from Maithri and NGO dealing with suicide prevention) It is estimated that over 100,000 people die by suicide in India every year. India alone contributes to more than 10% of suicides in the world. The suicide rate in has been increasing steadily and has reached 11.2 (per 100,000 of population) in 1999 registering a 78% increase over the value of 1980. Majority of suicides occur among men and in younger age groups. Out of every three cases of suicide reported every 15 minutes in India, one is committed by a youth in the age group of 15 to 29. In 2002, there were 10,982 suicides in Tamil Nadu, 11,300 in Kerala, 10,934 in Karnataka, and 9,433 in Andhra Pradesh. This is roughly about 30% of the suicides in India. Between 1993 and 2003, over 100000 bankrupt Indian farmers committed suicide. Kerala, has the highest number of suicides. Some 32 people commit suicide in Kerala every day, thrice the rate in India as a whole. Goa ranks a high 7th with the number of suicides being 16.38 per 10,000 compared with Nagaland 0.92 and Kerala 30.48. Bihar has a figure of only 1.82 By profession the break-ups were housewives 21% students 5% farmers 15%, Unemployed 9%, Self Employed 24% , Salaried 13% others 13%. CAUSES Suicidal behaviour is a complex issue, with multiple and inter-related causes. Mental illness is the most important factor that predisposes people to suicidal behaviour. People with mental illness have a 10-fold increased risk of suicide compared with people without such illness. Furthermore, having a problem of alcohol or drug abuse along with another mental disorder greatly increases the risk of suicidal behaviour. People who have made a previous suicide attempt have increased risks of making further suicide attempts and of dying by suicide, especially in the first 6 to 12 months after an attempt. People having chronic or fatal diseases like HIV/ AIDS, cancer are also associated with suicidal behaviour. In India some of the leading causes include: -Academic failures, or Stress of Examination -Financial instability or mounting Debt -Depression or Mental Illnesses -Family conflicts, domestic violence including dowry related problems -Inter-caste or inter-religous marriages or unfulfilled romantic ideals. -The disintegration of traditional social support mechanisms as was prevalent in joint families, due to emergence of a trend towards nuclear families -Alcohol abuse and family dysfunction. -Failure of crops, huge debt burdens, growing costs of cultivation, and shrinking yield. Poverty is not the main cause of suicide. Govt. of India data reveals most developed states have more suicide rate as compared to the most backward states. Also although people died of hunger in Kalahandi no suicide case was reported. SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR: WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE The challenge lies in translating our very considerable knowledge about why people attempt to take their lives into effective strategies, policies, programmes and services to reduce the tragic loss of life and the devastating effects of suicidal behaviour. Based on our current understanding, the promising areas for suicide prevention include: Educating physicians about recognising, treating and managing depression and suicidal behaviour can reduce suicide rates. It needs to be extended to enhance physician detection and treatment of, not only depression, but other mental illnesses, including substance abuse. Physicians need to better understand how to assess suicide risk and develop treatment plans that involve the person's social supports. Restricting access to lethal means of suicide is an approach to preventing suicide. Findings in this area span a range of different methods including reducing access to poisonous substances, reducing the pack size of analgesics, locking pesticides etc. Educating community gatekeepers: Programmes that focus on enhancing the skills of community, organisational and institutional gatekeepers (including clergy, and those who work in schools, prisons, welfare centres, and homes for the elderly) can improve identification and referral of people at risk of suicidal behaviour. Providing help in crisis situations: Telephone help lines, crisis centres and Internet support services around the world respond to many thousands of suicidal crises daily. Improving mental health treatment and management: Behavioural or psychological therapies have also been found to be effective in reducing suicidal behaviour, either alone or in combination with medication. Support also needs to be provided after suicide attempts to provide follow-up care and support. Package for the Farmers These kind of suicides (anomie) occur during sudden financial crises, causing relative deprivation. The government needs to address this on a priority basis either by writing off the debts or tailoring a package for them. Counselling in Schools In this modern age, children are under pressure to deliver at school; they are under pressure to appear for competitive examinations. After they reach puberty, no one in the family gives them any advice about the meaning of life Hence counselling can help identify signs and build up either the self esteem or social support lacking. Media coverage of suicide: Certain ways of presenting and portraying suicide in the media appear to precipitate suicidal behaviour in vulnerable people. Media guidelines need to be developed and adhered to so that knowledge and information about suicide and mental health can be disseminated in a non-stigmatising manner. PREVENTING SUICIDE: WHAT YOU CAN DO To be effective suicide prevention needs to incorporate a multifaceted and inter-sectoral approach which acknowledges the multiple causes and pathways to suicidal behaviour. The range of people who can be involved in suicide prevention includes heath care professionals, volunteers, families, educators, police, the media etc. Today is an opportunity for researchers, clinicians and practitioners to share with representatives from other sectors, information about what is known about the causes of suicidal behaviour, to highlight ways in which this knowledge can be applied and what approaches to preventing suicide seem likely to be effective, and to encourage evaluation of existing suicide prevention programmes and policies. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (www.iasp.info) has a range of activities that can be used to translate and transfer knowledge about suicide and suicide prevention to various sectors of the population and increase communication between caregivers and members of the research community. Conclusion: It is indeed distressing that although the common citizen concurs with the axiom 'Health is Wealth' and is very concerned. The same concern is not shared by the administration. For as per country data from the WHO website, as far as India is concerned the Public Expenditure on Health (PHE) as % of General Government Expenditure (GGE) is only 5.1%. Health it seems is one of the lowest priorities. One thing is clear, whereas economically we may be making strides we have miles to go as far as health is concerned. It is hoped that current scientific knowledge and research about suicidal behaviour is translated into practical programmes and activities that can reduce suicidal behaviour and save lives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ shortened version published in HERALD 10/10/06 page 12 on the occasion of WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2006 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================== GOA DESC RESOURCE CENTRE Documentation + Education + Solidarity 11 Liberty Apts., Feira Alta, Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------- Working On Issues Of Development & Democracy ====================================== _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
