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ThealarmingriseofteenagesuicidesinPakistan

ZofeenEbrahim

08JUNE2012

Yaqoobshothimselfdeadwithapistolathishomeafterhisfather,Kaleem,scoldedhimfornottakinginterestinhisstudies,readsareportontheNationalpagesoftodaysnewspaper.

Itgoesontoadd:MrKaleemtoldpolicethathissonwasunwillingtogotoschoolduetobullyingbyhisclassteacher.HesaidthathewouldalsoscoldMrYaqoobwheneverheresistedgoingtoschool.Frustratedwiththeharshattitudeofhisfatherandteacher,MrYaqoobwenthomeandshothimselfdeadwithapistol.

Fourteen-year-oldYaqoobwasthefifthsuchteenagestudenttotakehislifewithinthespanoftwoweeks.

Teenageisthebestoftimesandalsotheworst.Itistheageofinnocencemixedwithalittlefoolishness.Onthethresholdofacarefreechildhoodandawiseradultlife,theworldistheiroyster,whennothingseemsimpossibleastheystrivetoreachforthesky.

Sowhenonehearsoffiveyoungteenagerscommittingsuicideinsuchquicksucce

ssion,onecannothelpbutwonderwhathappenedtoalifeoffunandfrolicsnuffedsocallously.

Eighteen-year-oldKhursheedstudyingatIslamabadModelCollegeforBoysshothimselfwithhisfatherspistolwhenhisfatherscoldedhimforrefusingtotakeanentrytest;17year-oldShanfromGharibabadswallowedpoisonafterhisparentsattemptedtostophimfromspendingtimewithfriendsandnotconcentratingonstudies;seventh-graderAbdulMobininAbbottabadwhotookhislifebecauseoftortureatschoolanda13-year-oldstudentinKarachihangedhimselfbytheceilingfanafterhefailedinexams.

Whywouldyoungpeoplegetsoboredwithlifejustastheyenteritsmostexcitingphase?

Iftheydonthavetherightbalanceofopportunities,resourcesandhope,theycangetboredandhopeless,explainsDrMuradMusaKhan,chairmanoftheDepartmentofPsychiatryatAgaKhanUniversityHospital,Karachi.

Perturbedbytherecentsuicides,Khansaysthereiseveryreasonforconcernbecauseevenonesuicideisonetoomany.Heseeslotsofyoungpeople,someevenasoungas12,whohaveattemptedsuicidebecauseofacademicpressures,relationshipproblems,identityproblems,parentaldiscord,useofdrugs,bullying(includingcyber-bullying).Inaddition,therearemany,hesays,whosufferfromlowself-confidenceandlowself-esteem.

However,Karachi-basedclinicalpsychologist,DrAshaBedar,doesnotbelievech

ildorteensuicideisaresultofboredom.Itsusuallyabouteithermentalillness(e.g.,depression)oremotionaldisturbancecausedbycircumstances.

Whilemanyadultsassociatechildhood/teenagewithfunandacarefreeoutlooktowardslife,Bedarpointsout:unfortunately,thatisnotthecaseformanychildrenandyoungpeoplearoundus.

Likeadults,shesays,manychildrenandyoungpeoplesufferfrommentalillness,suchasdepression(oftenundiagnosedandthereforeuntreatedinacountrylikePakistan)andextremeemotionaldistressordisturbancecausedbycircumstance

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saroundthem.Duringherpractice,sheseesmanyyoungpeoplewhohaveattemptedbutevenmorewhohavethoughtaboutsuicide.

Bedaremphasisesthatotherthanamentalillness,abusehasbeenoneofthemostcommonissueswhichmanyyoungpeople,whocometoher,havesufferedfrom.Thiscouldbeexposuretosevereviolenceathomeperhapsahomeenvironmentcharacterisedbytightparentalcontrol,terrorandsadness.Oritcouldbeongoingexposuretoseverephysicalviolence/bullyingoutsidethehome,sexualabuse(includingrape),cyber-bullying,blackmailing.

Thereasonswhyyoungpeople(agedanywhere14to24),orevenyounger,commitorattemptsuicide,aremultiplesaysKhan.Usually,however,acombinationoflifestressesandavulnerablepersonalityveeringthepersontowardsdepression,withhopelessnessasapredominantfeeling,leadsontosuicidalbehaviour.

Accordingtotheindependent2012annualreportoftheHumanRightsCommissionofPakistan(HRCP),povertyandanuncertainfutureareturningteenagegirlsinKarachitoendtheirlives.

CitingtheNationalPoisonControlCentre,atJinnahPostGraduateMedicalCentre,inKarachi,HRCPsannualreportfor2011,reportedthattherewere1,153attemptedsuicidesacrossPakistanand2,131suicidesin2011withfiveorsixteenagersattemptingsuicideeverydayinKarachi.Ofthese,60percentareteenagegirlsandfamiliesarereluctanttoregisterthecaseasattemptedsuicide.

In2002,theWorldHealthOrganizationestimatedthatover15,000suicideswerecommittedinPakistan,butKhanestimatesittobeprobablyabout5,000to7,000suicidesannually.Inaddition,hesays,thereareapproximately50,000to150,000casesofattemptedsuicides.Themajorityofsuicidesandattemptedsuicidesareinpeopleundertheageof30years.

Ofthese,hesays,approximately25percentofthecaseswouldbeintheteens.Thesefiguresarethebestestimateonecanascertainfromallthestudiesonsuicidethatareavailable,KhantellsDawn.com.

Inalmostallsettingsallovertheworld,includingPakistan,saysMusa,moregirlsthanboysattemptsuicidebutmoreboyscommitsuicidethangirls.

GenerallyspeakinggirlsareundermorestressallovertheworldincludingPakistanandmakingasuicideattemptisasignofextremestress/distress,hesays.

ButwhyareyoungpeopleinPakistansotroubled?

Musahasnoqualmsaboutputtingtheblamesquarelyontheadults.Becausetheeldershavefailedtoprovidetheyoungwithasafeandsecureenvironmentforthemtoliveandprosperunder,hesays,adding:JustdrivearoundonaSundayandseethenumberofyoungboysplayingcricketontheroadsordirtygrounds.Whycantpropergroundsandequipmentbeprovidedtotheseyoungmen?Hethinkstheissueofsuicidesisbothahumanrightsoneandafundamentalrightsone.

DrShifaNaeem,aKarachi-basedpsychiatrist,believestodaysteenagersareexposedtomanymorestressesthantheircounterpartswereagenerationortwoback.

Expectationsarehigherfromthem,whilesupportsystemsareweaker,shesaysexplainingthescenariobytakingtwoimaginaryprofilesofateenagerfromthe1960sandoneoftoday.

Theyoungteenagerfromthe1960swasspendingsometimeofthedayinphysicalexercise(asitusedtobemandatory);heorshewouldhavegoodchancesofhavinganinvolvedandcommittedteacherwhodalsobeamentor.Inaddition,parents,

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too,werespendingmoretimewiththemandlifewasgenerallysimpler.Ontheotherhand,Naeempointsout,theteenageroftodayisexpectedtoexcelinstudiesandstudyingataschoolwhichtheparentscanfeelproudof,shouldalsolookcoolandbepopularwithallthekidsatschool,shouldhavemorefriendsonFacebookthantherest,haveaglamorouslife-style(similartotheoneheorsheseesontheTVandwhichincludesmarijuana,cigarettesandalcohol).

Thatisnotall.Apoorlaw-and-ordersituationandthehelplessnessandasenseofhopelessnesspromptedbyinjusticesandmightisrighttheyalladdup,sheconludes.

Bedarisoftheviewthatwhilechildrenaretypicallyresilientandgetoveradifficultperiod;professionalhelpmustbesoughtformentalillness.

Oneisolatedincidentdoesnotcauseachildtocontemplateorattemptsuicideitisusuallyanongoingchronicsituation(forinstance,abuse/violenceathomeoratschool,debilitatingpoverty,etc.),somethingthatmakesthechildfeelcompletelyhelpless,fearfulandtrappedlikethereisnowayoutandnohope.Oneincidentcan,however,beatrigger,pushingachild/teenagerovertheedge,servingasthefinalstraw,sheexplains.

Themoreworrisomefactoristhatwhilesomegetcuredsotosay,manyattemptandre-attemptandeventuallysucceedinkillingthemselves.

Thechancesofapersonre-attemptingincreasegreatlyafteroneattemptasthepersoncrossesacertainthresholdandthefearoftheattemptisdecreased,saysKhan,addingthathe/shefindsiteasiertoattemptitagain.

Inmanycases,theunderlyingpsychologicalstressorisnotaddressed,thoughmedicaltreatmentisgiven(stomachwashout,antidotes,amongothers).Eachsuicideattempter,hesays,mustundergoapsychologicalevaluationandtheunderlyingpsychologicalproblemmustbeaddressed.

Khanalsoemphasisesthatthewaymediareportstheissuehasamajorimpactonsuicideattemptsandsuiciderates.Ifitisglamorisedandportrayedinsuchawaythatitsoundsthatsuicideisanacceptablewayofdealingwithlifesproblemsthanitgivesencouragementtoothervulnerablepeoplewhomaybeinthesame

situationastheonewhohascommittedsuicide.

Therefore,headds,itisimportantforthemediatoalsoreportthatsuicideisnotthewaytodealwithlifesproblems,thatthereareotherhealthywaystodealwithproblemsandtogivenamesandcontactdetailsofwherepeopleinsuicidalcrisissituationscanseekhelp.Thereisa24-hourpsychiatristavailableattheAKUHforanyemergencyincludingsuicidalemergency,hesays.

Inaddition,recentlytheAmanTelehealthhasstarteda24-hourtelephonehotlinewheretrainedcounsellorscanhelppeopleindistress.Thenumberis111-113737.

Ourcounsellingisbothmedicalandpsychological,saysJenniferYounas,workinga

tAmanTelehealth.Startedjustsixmonthsbacktheresponsehasbeentremendous.However,shesaysnotmanypeopleknowthattheyprovidelife-savinghelpforsuicidalemergencies.Youcansayforevery100generalcalls(includingseekingcounsellingforchronicdiseaseslikebloodpressure,heartproblemstopsychologicaldisordersincludingschizophrenia,depressionanxietyetc,wegettwocaseswherehelpissoughtforsuicide,Younaspointsout.

http://dawn.com/2012/06/08/the-alarming-rise-of-teenage-suicides-in-pakistan/

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