PRESS CONFERENCE TO COMMEMORATE FIFTH WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY

In an age preoccupied with global violence and terrorism, more human beings worldwide killed themselves than died in all wars, terrorist acts and inter-personal violence combined, Brian Mishara, President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, said at Headquarters this morning.

“Suicide occurs in all ages and suicide prevention and intervention strategies can be adapted to meet the needs of different age groups,” he said at a press conference to commemorate the Fifth World Suicide Prevention Day, organized jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Association for Suicide Prevention.  The theme “Suicide across the Lifespan” had been chosen because suicide took place among children as well as those well into their 80s and 90s.

Describing suicide as a “huge but largely preventable public health problem”, he said rates remained high among elderly people around the world, the highest being among men over 85.  Despite a declining number of youth suicides in many countries, there had been a rapid increase among adolescents under the age of 15.  The most frequent form of suicide was the ingestion of pesticide, which was common in rural areas of Asia, Africa, South and Central America.

WHO and the International Association for Suicide Prevention had started a global projection to try and ensure safer storage of pesticides and other lethal materials, he said.  It was also important to improve control of access to the means of suicide, and to limit the number of tablets and other poisonous materials available in the home.  Treatment of mental health problems was another important aspect of prevention.

He said one of the most serious challenges worldwide was to convince men to seek treatment of mental problems, adding that, in most countries outside Asia -- where the ratio was more balanced -- three or four men died by suicide to each woman who killed herself.  Men tended not to discuss or consult about mental illness, or they waited until it was too late to seek help.  They also sought psychological evaluation less frequently than women.

In conclusion, he said some people felt it was normal to feel unhappy or depressed as one grew older, but research had shown that the elderly responded better to prevention measures than all other age groups.  The suicide rate among older persons was quite low, except in some developed countries.

At what age were people considered older? a correspondent asked.

Mr. Mishara said that category generally applied to people over the age of 65 years, but men over 85 were considered to be particularly at risk.  In Canada’s Quebec province, however, the elderly had the lowest rate.  That was unusual and might have something to do with the strong social services system.

Asked to list five prevention priorities, Dr. Mishara emphasized that suicide involved no single factor, reiterating that it could be prevented by controlling access to lethal means.  A second priority was the treatment of mental health problems, although the major obstacle in the Western countries was not the unavailability of treatment, but the non-recognition that one had such a problem.  Men did not consult as often as women, as they were traditionally thought to have the ability to solve their problems on their own.

Very often, suicide occurred in situations where people felt desperate, he said.  Such a sense of desperation could be transitory in some situations, but chronic in others, especially among women and young people.  “Making help available is crucial,” he stressed.

Asked about religious positions on suicide, he said Christianity and Islam certainly condemned it, but Hinduism and Confucianism were “a bit more neutral”.  However, desperation affected people of all religious faiths and suicide could result from social or other problems.

He noted that Islamic countries generally had a much lower suicide rate than others, two explanations being religious condemnation and greater family integration and social support.  In Western countries, by contrast, more people lived alone with no confidants or other recourse.  It was important to note, however, that many more people survived suicide attempts than those who actually died.  “Even desperate people who initiate an attempt change their minds somewhere along the way,” he added.

Asked whether he considered suicide the ultimate selfish act, he said it was not intentionally selfish, but often occurred when someone wished to stop overwhelming emotional pain that they felt was interminable and intolerable.

He told another journalist that suicide was not a necessary consequence of poverty as some very poor people never even considered it.  In India, on the other hand, girls committed “dowry suicide” when their families were too poor to provide a dowry for them to be married.

Another journalist asked whether the Baltic countries, which had the highest suicide rates, had seen any substantial improvement in addressing the problem since joining the European Union.  Dr. Mishara said there had been no major initiative in those countries, which was a matter of great concern for people working in suicide prevention worldwide.  As for the causes of that situation, he said suicide was usually triggered by a specific occurrence in a chain of events.  Lifesaving actions must, therefore, include a series of actions addressing various aspects of life.

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For information media • not an official record