The Department of Mental Health (DMH) has issued a warning over the rising rate of suicides among people of working age and retirees.
According to the DMH, citing data from the National Suicide Prevention Center, an average of 53,000 suicides are attempted in Thailand each year, 4,000 of which end fatally.
DMH Director-General Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak said suicide is now second only to accidents as the leading cause of unnatural deaths in Thailand. She added that major risk factors driving people to commit suicide include stress and depression.
According to a March survey, those in the early stages of their careers are four times more likely to commit suicide than other adults. Many people face financial pressure during the university-to-work transition, especially in the context of a status-driven, materialistic society. This at-risk group has also been steadily increasing over the last four years.
Dr Amporn said love and support from family and friends can help people avoid suicidal thoughts.
There have long been concerns that COVID-19 and the restrictions put in place to contain it could cause a mental health crisis and an increase in suicides around the world.
Along with fear of disease and potential bereavement, experts say some aspects of the lockdown – such as isolation, loneliness, loss of social support networks, unemployment, and financial insecurity – are harmful to mental health.
According to data from the World Health Organization, close to 800,000 people worldwide lose their lives to suicide every year. Twenty more people attempt suicide for every death, though statistics are vastly underreported.(NNT)
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