More people thinking of suicide

The Star
Published: Tuesday August 13, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Tuesday August 13, 2013 MYT 7:18:51 AM

BY LOH FOON FONG
foonfong@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: The number of people in Klang Valley expressing suicidal thoughts to Befrienders Kuala Lumpur last year is almost double that of 2008.

In 2008, 1,393 persons expressed that they had suicidal feelings, but the number shot up to 2,668 last year, said Befrienders KL chairman L. Mary Raj.

Relationship issues topped the list of problems expressed, followed by psychiatric and financial pro­blems, she said, adding that most callers who said they had suicidal thoughts were below 30, followed closely by those in the 31 to 50 year age group.

When it comes to race, the Chinese led the pack, making up 60% of callers, followed by Indians and Malays.

Mary said the reason more people were having suicidal thoughts could be due to an increasing number of people living under stressful conditions, as well as greater media publi­city on suicide cases.

Other than phone calls, such expressions were also made through e-mail and face-to-face meetings.

“It is good that they express suicidal feelings because it lowers their risk of committing suicide at the moment they are contemplating it,” Mary said.

According to the National Suicide Registry, 117 suicide cases were recorded in 2007, while 425 cases were seen in 2010. Indians recorded the highest suicide rate at 3.67 for every 100,000 Indians, followed by the Chinese at 2.44 per 100,000.

The ministry’s deputy director- general for public health Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman reminded the media not to sensationalise cases of suicide as it could lead to “copycat” cases.

Other than introducing the National Strategic and Action Plan for Suicide Prevention last year, Dr Lokman added that a guideline on media reporting on suicide has been deve­loped to educate the media on responsible suicide reporting.

Dr Lokman said the main factors that contributed to suicide were significant life events such as financial, relationship, employment and psy­chiatric problems.

Befrienders Kuala Lumpur can be contacted at 03-7956 8145/8144 or sam@befrienders.org.my.