Corona Daily 419: Suicides are Preventable

Triggered by yesterday’s article, I will discuss suicides again, however unpleasant the topic sounds. Suicides can be prevented by talking more about them, not less.

Research suggests during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, suicides grew. Surprisingly, during the First World War which preceded it, they didn’t. During the 2003 SARS epidemic, which fortunately didn’t last long, many elderly people committed suicide.

Several reasons are offered for suicides to spike up during pandemics. Mental ill-health, social isolation, entrapment, grieving for the unnecessary loss of loved ones, loneliness, feeling of hopelessness, unresolved anger or irritation, the stigma of being infected, unemployment, financial strain, domestic violence, excessive alcohol consumption and irresponsible media reporting.

Social distancing is an unfortunate term introduced without consulting psychologists. It should be physical distancing. Social isolation is one of the root causes of suicide, and now that term is freely used.

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The young are particularly vulnerable. Students who spent years preparing for competitive exams which didn’t happen. Undergrads analysing job market reports. Young couples with decades-long mortgages based on jobs that are no longer secure. Young people without family or state support. In the absence of savings and job security, suddenly survival is at stake.

Suicides are the most preventable form of death. There is an international association for suicide prevention (IASP). Its website has suicide crisis helplines for every country. Every year 10 September is celebrated as the world suicide prevention day. Currently, there is a sudden surge in the calls which is a good sign. Most government and private organizations offer tele-mental health, online.

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What can people who are not suicidal do to prevent suicides?

Keep an eye on single people, of any age. Make sure there is constant communication with them. Talk regularly to neighbours, friends, family who live alone.

Now in this age of social media, look for signs on their FB or Twitter posts. Many suicide victims had given enough clues about their intentions. Their FB friends regretted not acting on them in time.

If a person you know starts getting drunk more often or drinking more, it’s a sign of danger. Alcohol and drugs can induce suicide by temporarily killing reason - the same person wouldn’t do this when sober.

An eye must be kept on the sudden presence or increase in the means of killing. In the USA, retailers should be more careful when selling firearms. They make suicides so easy. The stock of pesticides or medicines going up is another sign somebody is contemplating suicide.

Those who had tested positive, and have recovered are absolutely like every other person. In many countries, they are stigmatized. People openly avoid them. This is the pandemic apartheid which creates a feeling of guilt. All we can do as individuals is to treat them as we would if there was no pandemic.

Encourage others to stop looking at coronavirus scorecards. The majority of the world population is not statisticians. Small numbers appear too big for them. As projected at the beginning of the pandemic, at least 100,000 people should be dying every day of Covid-19. Globally, only 5000 are dying daily. Irrespective of the number of cases, 99.99% of the population is alive. Share those facts with people who get depressed or frightened. Life can suddenly become worth living for them.

Ravi