Prevalence of youth suicides a concern

AN ESTIMATED 23 suicides take place every day in South Africa, along with a total of 460 attempted suicides.

A recent report by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) found that 9% of all teen deaths are due to suicide – and this figure is on the increase.

Statistics show that suicide is the second most common cause of death in people aged 15 to 29, but some children as young as 6 have been deemed suicidal.

Sadag media liaison spokesperson Kayla Phillips said the organisation had received more than 74 000 calls on its helpline since the beginning of this year, with figures showing young adults in general have been more prone to suicidal thoughts.

“Research indicated that 30.6% of students had thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months, 16.6% had made a suicide plan and 2.4% had attempted suicide.

“More than half (57.2%) of students who’d had thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months went on to make a suicide plan. And 19.1% of those who made a plan went on to attempt suicide.”

Deputy director of the SA Federation for Mental Healt Leon de Beer explained that while there was no absolute reason for the high rates of suicide among young people in South Africa, some contributing factors included high rates of underlying mental illnesses, loneliness, bullying, academic pressure and a history of childhood sexual or physical assault or violence.

“The factors and causes that lead to suicide are complex and many. However, there are some signs you can look out for including: someone talking about dying or other types of self-harm, people suffering a recent loss; a change in personality (being sad, withdrawn, irritable, anxious, tired, indecisive, and apathetic); a change in behaviour; a change in sleep patterns and low self-esteem.”

De Beer said that often when a young person chose to take their own life there was an underlying and untreated mental health condition, usually depression. Importantly, many young people living with depression do not choose to end their life. Depression is treatable and suicide is preventable.

Founder of the I’ve Got You Project and social media campaigner Wendy Smith said misconceptions around suicide being a cognitive choice further perpetuated its stigmatisation.

“Suicide is not a choice, it is the final lethal symptom of a disease. The disease is a mental illness, which varies in degrees and forms.”

Smith said that adolescent and young adults were at a higher risk of suicide because 15% of all mental illness symptoms had occurred by the age of 14, and 75% of mental illness occurred between the ages 15 and 24.

¡ Should you be a person suffering from suicidal thoughts, or are the loved one of a suicidal person, there are resources and help readily available to you. You may call the Sadag Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567 567, or SMS 31393. These numbers are free and counselling is available in all 11 official languages.