Don explains suicide trends

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Suicide cases were highest among the Indian community and the main reasons were poverty, alcoholism, physical abuse and high school dropout rates, said a university professor.
Suicides were three times higher in the Indian community with 30-35 per 100,000 cases compared with the national average of 10-12 per 100,000, said psychiatry professor Dr T. Maniam of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia after a roundtable talk organised by MIC on community response to suicide.
Quoting from several past studies, he said suicide cases among the Chinese were 15 per 100,000 and Malays six per 100,000.
The Indian community's attitude towards suicide also contributed to the high number, he added.
“In some communities, suicide is forbidden but such taboo is not strong in the Indian culture,” he noted.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk G. Palanivel said the ministry was prepared to fund studies on suicide.
He said society had to think about coming up with a good detection system for early intervention.
Dr Maniam said the reasons that drove people to suicide were many and complex.
“People may be suffering from mental disorders such as depression and anxiety and stress-related disorders. They may also face problems in relationships, substance abuse, poverty and failures in life,” he added.
In summarising the talk attended by 70 MIC members, NGOs, religious groups and professional groups, he said the immediate answer was to mobilise lay counsellors to provide support to those in distress and to make people aware that there was such a support.
He said the long-term goal was poverty eradication, reduction of access to pesticides and improve marital relationships and parenting skills.
Yayasan Strategik Sosial executive director Datuk Dr Denison Jeyasooria said among the roundtable proposals were the setting up of early detection systems and early treatment, and increasing awareness among people to seek help.
He also said there were also proposals to make counsellors more accessible and drawing up media guidelines on suicide reporting.
Yayasan Strategik Sosial would be working with the National Population and Family Development Board to carry out some of the proposals, he added.