7 groups of people most likely to commit suicide

7 groups of people most likely to commit suicide

As the world celebrated World Suicide Prevention Day on Monday, experts believe that there is a lot more work to be done to save millions from an early grave.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) one person commits suicide every 40 seconds bringing this number to a staggering 800,000 people every year while many more attempt.

In Kenya, 421 people committed suicide in 2017 and this number has been on the rise for the past ten years with 2010 having had the lowest recorded incidents at 75 cases.

The number of suicides reported rose by 58 per cent between 2008 and 2017 to reach 421, official data reveal.

Experts believe the leading causes of suicide are; post-partum depression, burnout, drugs and substance abuse, family history of suicide, mental and mood disorders. Others are philosophical desires such as questioning life, existence, identity and social constraints such as financial instability.

Some people are however more at risk of committing suicide than others;

Celebrities

Superstars, be they athletes, TV personalities, social media bigwigs, singers and actors are vulnerable to suicide because of social pressures. It is almost hard to believe they are real people with common struggles.

In April, music mogul Tim Bergling, alias Avicii died as a result of suicide. The producer and deejay, at the 2016 Billboard awards, admitted that he struggled with fame and often took in negative energy.

“The scene was not for me. It was not the shows and not the music. It was always the other stuff surrounding it that never came naturally to me,” he said.

Doctors

While busy taking care of other people, doctors too have been found highly capable of committing suicide. They often get overworked, with little to no time for self, hence end up with burnout.

Doctors who are blamed for a patient’s death are also likely to have suicidal thoughts. Given that the profession itself is very meticulous and the medics tend to be overworked, they are inevitably prone to make errors.

Their errors are usually fatal and unfortunately, leaves them with post traumatic stress disorder which often leads to suicide.

People without social capital

The lone rangers, even when they may appear strong and self assured, also have moments when they need people.

Speaking out and asking for help is one of the ways to prevent suicide. It is in fact reported that as much as women are more likely to have suicidal thoughts, men commit suicide more than women because women will most likely ask for help.

However, just like any other investment, social capital is to be properly gauged, ensuring there is a greater chance to profit.

Drug and substance abusers

According to a 2012 World Health Organisation research, 175,000 out of the 800,000 suicides worldwide were due to substance use. This translates to one in five suicide cases.

It is reported to be due to some of the experiences in trying to quit the habit. Struggles with relapse, finding a replacement for the substance to fill the void or excitement and grappling with social issues such as divorce, financial instability and health disorders as a result lead to contemplating suicide.

Teenagers

With busy parents trying to make ends meet and provide the best livelihood they can for their children, most teenagers do not have a relationship with their parents.

Parents barely know who their kids are. They are instead left to be raised by celebrities, the internet and whatever they consume from the WiFi that comes with their parents’ provision to make their lives comfortable.

Movies, music and even video games such as the Blue Whale game have influenced teenagers into committing suicide.

People who tend to pile up emotions

People who tend to pile up emotions, especially pain, are likely to be suicidal. They may postpone dealing with the issue through remedies such as therapy and reach a breaking point, from which they may not be able to recover.

Such people can also be connected to personality disorders, causing a habit of either clinging onto people too much to a point of not imagining a life without them or being totally detached from social circles.

The mentally ill

Mental disorders such as depression and post traumatic stress disorders may go unnoticed or altogether assumed and wind up in suicide.

The Mental Health Foundation actually establishes that 90% of suicides are related to psychiatric disorders. This ranges from schizophrenia, bipolar, depression, mood disorders and borderline personality disorders.

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suicide who burnout Avicii post-partum depression world suicide day

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