{"id":137045,"date":"2021-09-10T08:40:48","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T12:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=137045"},"modified":"2021-09-10T08:40:48","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T12:40:48","slug":"suicide-it-is-time-to-be-concerned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/suicide-it-is-time-to-be-concerned\/","title":{"rendered":"Suicide! It is time to be concerned"},"content":{"rendered":"
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World Suicide Prevention Day will be observed on Friday 10th<\/sup>\u00a0September 2021. \u201cCreating Hope through Action\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>will be the theme until 2023. Suicide is identified as a major mental health problem in many regions; what of Antigua and Barbuda? When will we become concerned enough to treat this issue with some measure of urgency?<\/p>

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Suicide is defined as the act of intentionally killing oneself. In an effort to combat the issue of suicide, there must be a collaborative effort amongst multiple sectors within the society. The health and education sectors, non- governmental agencies, civic society and church groups all have vital roles to play in addressing the problem.<\/p>\n

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Suicide is a global occurrence not limited to race or status, and facts have shown that 77% of the world\u2019s suicides in 2019 took place in low- and middle-income countries. Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) also indicate that more than 700,000 persons die as a result of suicide each year.<\/p>

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Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in youths between the ages of 15-19 years old. The most common methods used to perform the act worldwide are: the ingestion of poisonous substances, overdosing on drugs, hangings and firearms.<\/p>

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The link between suicide and mental health has long been touted by medical experts. Certain mental health conditions including bipolar disorders, personality disorders, and manic depression increase the likelihood of suicide attempts. Other factors attributing to suicide risk are: alcohol abuse, drug abuse, terminal illnesses, the break- up of relationships and financial hardships.<\/p>\n

In many instances, suicides are preventable; however, it can only be prevented through information sharing along with timely interventions. Those with the necessary capabilities need to offer support to those who are vulnerable and are displaying signs of extreme stress or depression.<\/p>

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