JEDDAH: The number of suicides in the Kingdom is on the increase with even children killing themselves for flimsy reasons, according to recent media reports.
A nine-year-old boy recently committed suicide in Jeddah because he was not allowed to continue playing a games console. Studies show that no particular community or age group is more prone to committing suicide. Saudis, expatriates, the elderly, the youth and children are taking their own lives. Men, however, show a considerably stronger tendency to commit suicide than women.
According to a recent Ministry of Interior statement, there were 295 cases of suicide in the Kingdom last year. The statement added that 259 of these people were men and 36 women. Among the men, 134 were Saudis and 125 expatriates. There were also 266 suicide cases in 2006, out of which 100 were Saudis and 166 expatriates.
Dr. Sameera Al-Ghamdi, psychiatric consultant and director of public relations and health education at Al-Amal Hospital, said it is a myth that religious people are less prone to committing suicide.
“Mental ailments can affect any person regardless of his religious convictions. A man committing suicide could be religious or totally indifferent to religion,” Al-Ghamdi said.
“The increase in reported suicide cases does not necessarily mean that the actual number of suicides has risen. It could be because of a perceptible shift in the attitude of journalists in reporting suicide cases. Until a few years ago, the media are not interested in reporting suicides; now they are,” she added.
Al-Ghamdi said children commit suicide when depressed. “A child’s exoteric quietness does not mean that he or she enjoys perfect mental health. On the other hand, there are doctors who believe that excessive quietness in children is a symptom of some sort of disorder,” she said.
She attributed the tendency for suicide among expatriates to their exposure to various kinds of mental pressures on top of homesickness. “When you look at a man’s serious mental problems you learn that they could be solved easily. However, unresolved anxiety and other pressures, and in the case of an expatriate the additional burden of homesickness, may weaken their mental health and lead to a depressive state, and in some people, even to suicide,” she said.
The Health Department in Jeddah has no precise figures about the number of people who committed suicide in the city.
Abdul Rahman Al-Sahafi, the official spokesman for the Health Department, described the formalities in handling suicide cases. “In addition to examining the body, a forensic expert inspects the location of the suicide. If no indications of criminal involvement are found, the concerned officials will release the body for burial,” Al-Sahafi said.
On the other hand, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Khoja, director of outpatient clinics at King Fahd Hospital, stressed the need for campaigns and social programs to reinforce people against psychological illness. “There should be arrangements to monitor the mental health of children and care should be taken not to expose them to mentally destabilizing computer games,” he said.
He stressed the need for keeping the youth busy in constructive activities, particularly during holidays. He also recommended dealing with expatriate workers in a more understanding manner and providing them with opportunities for entertainment.
