Almost all suicides involving Saudis — men and women, young and old — that are reported in our local papers are blamed on mental disorders. The story is always the same: The person who committed suicide did so because he or she was suffering from a mental illness.
Having realized that the same explanation is given every time, readers are no longer attracted to suicide stories and when they see one, they turn the page and look for a more interesting report. Why should readers waste their time learning about the reasons and motives for the suicides if the reason given is always the same?
Readers seldom look at these news reports since they know they will learn nothing beyond the fact that someone is dead. For every case of suicide or a violent attack on others there is a ready explanation which is identical in all cases.
Society and its institutions are no longer interested in such cases which are soon forgotten until another tragedy occurs and is treated in the same way.
We never hear of comprehensive research or careful studies being carried out to analyze these crimes and determine the real motives. Suppose someone suffered from a mental illness — why leave them without proper care until they are so overcome by the illness that they take their own lives or perhaps those of others?
We could have avoided many of those tragedies if cases of depression were studied and proper treatment administered; if the social, economic and other problems facing families were studied and solutions recommended; and if the individuals involved in the crimes were not left alone to suffer silently and eventually lose hope.
Our civil organizations continue to act as if the problem does not concern them. What have they done to address poverty, homelessness, misery, despair, violent family disputes and other social ills that drive people to act so desperately?
These and other questions need urgent answers. Unless we admit there is a problem and seriously work to address and solve it, we will continue to read the same reason for every one of these crimes: Mental illness.
