The number of people taking their own lives is increasing.
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According to a recent article published by the BBC, the number of suicide deaths in the United States has been increasing every year from 2000 to 2022. In particular, 2022 recorded the highest number of suicide deaths ever, with approximately 50,000 deaths.
This article focuses on the mental health issues faced by the younger generation, the factors that exacerbate them, and the ways to respond to them. The difficulties in acquiring social skills due to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the influence of digital media such as social media, economic pressures, and anxiety about the future are identified as contributing factors to the increase in suicide rates.
According to the article, there is a stigma attached to mental illness in the United States, and it is necessary to accept it as a real social problem rather than dismissing it as a 'weakness'. Of course, in order to overcome this social perception, it is necessary to raise awareness of mental health issues within the community and create an environment where individuals can seek help when they or others have mental health problems. In addition, it is necessary to increase access to mental health services so that at-risk individuals can receive the help they need.
Recently, the 'Korea Suicide Prevention Association' in Korea also issued an emergency statement. In fact, Korea has set a new record for suicide rate. In particular, the suicide rate among youth is increasing, and recently, the suicide rate among men in their 20s and 30s is also increasing. We have the strange record of a country with the lowest number of births, but the young generation committing the most suicides.
There are many measures that need to be taken at the national and social level, but I looked into what individuals can do and found that there is a campaign called ' QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer ' (taken from CPR...)
Question: When people around you show signs of suicide risk, this is the stage where you directly ask them if they are considering suicide. What you should be careful about here is that you should start the conversation by asking questions, but avoid a judgmental or blaming attitude. It is important to provide the individual with an opportunity to share their pain through questions.
Persuade: This is the stage where you persuade someone who is considering suicide to not take immediate suicidal action. At this time, you should listen to their feelings, show empathy, and encourage them to seek professional help. You should also encourage them to recognize that their current difficulties are temporary and understand that the situation can improve.
Refer: This is the step where you guide the person at risk to appropriate resources to get professional help. This includes access to resources such as community mental health services, suicide prevention hotlines, and counseling centers. The key at this step is to connect people to practical help.
These measures are important not only to reduce suicide rates, but also to save individual lives. Mr. Ben Salas' case shows how urgent it is to recognize and respond to this problem. We too must recognize that we need deeper conversations and support, not just the answer of "I'm OK."
I think it's time to take a breather from the high standards and overly cold peer evaluations we used to have. Let's all do our best. I was listening to Shukaworld just now and the topic of suicide came up, so I thought of a BBC article I saw recently, so I'm writing this.
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