group 2
​MPU:FalsafahDan Isu Semasa
Background of research
According to World Health Organisation, more than 700 000 people die by suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. It may be said without fear of contradiction that suicide is considered as a global phenomenon that occurs throughout the lifespan. However, there are actually a wide array of effective and evidence-based interventions that can be implemented at population, sub-population and individual levels in a way to prevent suicide and suicide attempts. Concurrently, there are indications that for each adult who died by suicide, there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide. Suicide is a global phenomenon; with approximately 77% of suicides occurring in poor and middle-income countries in 2019. To better exemplify this point, suicide accounted for 1.3% of all deaths worldwide, making it the 17th leading cause of death in 2019.
Suicide rate in Malaysia
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The Bar chart above from globaleconomy.com/Malaysia/suicides/ website shows a significant rise of suicide rate in Malaysia from the year 2013 to 2019. It is not exaggerating to say suicide rates in Malaysia have risen exponentially over the last few decades.
Age-standardized suicide rates in Malaysia between 2000 and 2019 were 5.5, and ranged between 4.9 (2013) and 6.1 (2000) per 100,000 population. The GHE data recorded a decrease in suicide rates for both sexes between 2000 and 2013, but recorded a significant increase between 2014 and 2019 for males. The Malaysian suicide rate of 5.8 per 100,000 population in 2019 was the second highest compared to selected Muslim majority countries, in the middle range compared to other ASEAN countries, and lower than all G7 (Group of Seven) countries except Italy. However, due to the limitations of the data quality, we could not firmly conclude that the rates and trends reflected the actual number of suicide deaths in Malaysia. High-quality surveillance of suicidal behavior, both fatal and non-fatal, is essential for identifying the at-risk populations so that appropriate and effective interventions can be tailored and targeted to mitigate their suicidal behavior and ideation.
According to CDC (centers for disease control and prevention) four-level social-ecological model, the circumstances that increase suicide risk are classified as individual, relationship, community, and societal risk factors. Also, based on KidsHealth about 95% of people who die by suicide have a psychological disorder at the time of death. Teens are at risk for suicide with
mental health problems such as going through significant life changes, those who are been bullied, have anxiety, depression, or insomnia are at higher risk for having suicidal thoughts.
Teens who are thinking about suicide might talk about suicide or death in general, and give hints that they might not be around anymore, talk about feeling hopeless or feeling guilty and pulled away from friends or family.
Therefore, we believe that parents’ responsibility cannot be neglected and they must be aware of some common suicide warning signs so teens who might be suicidal can get the immediate help they need. Parents may have not realized it, but the succour of parents lessens the struggle a teen is facing and help the teen to become less affected. For example, observe and listen, keep a close eye on a teen and understand their depression, try to keep the lines of communication open, and express your concern, support, and love. Most importantly, don't minimize or ignore what your teen is going through, as this can unconsciously increase their sense of hopelessness.
