Suicide rate in Thailand hits half-decade peak despite prevention efforts

[webfact]

 

Suicide numbers in Thailand have been on a steady incline over the last five years, peaking at 4,800 lives lost in the previous year, as reported by the Department of Mental Health (DMH).

 

Yesterday marked World Suicide Prevention Day, a global initiative spearheaded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that took place yesterday. This event brings together international efforts to combat suicide.

 

In response, various workers from Thailand’s public health sector, including teams from the DMH and the National Health Security Office (NHSO), united their forces to contribute to this prevention campaign.

 

The concept of World Suicide Prevention Day emerged following a distressing report by the WHO, which revealed that globally, suicides claim a minimum of one million lives each year. This translates to one life lost every 40 seconds. Suicide has now climbed into the top 10 causes of death worldwide, with men being three times more likely to succeed in their suicide attempts compared to women.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of Freepik

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailands-suicide-rate-hits-half-decade-peak-despite-prevention-efforts

 

-- The Thaiger 2023-09-11

 

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[OneMoreFarang]

I wonder how much of those suicides are related to social media.

There was a time when we could avoid bullies in school, at work or other places. We went home and closed the door.

Now, with social media viral post anytime anywhere that is not possible anymore.

 

Personally I don't use facebook or any of that. I wouldn't even know if someone writes something bad about me. But it seems many people use that all the time, and all their "friends" are on it. How long does it take to destroy someone on those platforms? And then?

So much about "progress".

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Personally I don't use facebook or any of that. I wouldn't even know if someone writes something bad about me.

Plenty of bullies and stalkers on this forum.

Can't even post a thread on 'cook in sauces' without suffering frequent personal attacks from the 'haters'.

[daveAustin]

49 minutes ago, webfact said:

Suicide has now climbed into the top 10 causes of death worldwide, with men being three times more likely to succeed in their suicide attempts compared to women.

Indeed. Many women harp on about inequality but have no idea how hard it can be being a bloke. The expectation… being the breadwinner, providing for family, berated by woman for not having as much as her friends, getting destroyed by the courts when she wants a change etc etc. Harder for a guy to seek help and they are more likely to bottle it up. The addition of social media and that toxic environment for the young uns is another biggie. Especially horrible to hear about kids doing themselves in. People will make light of it and carry on with their day as it means nothing to them. Whatever. 

[ezzra]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how much of those suicides are related to social media.

There was a time when we could avoid bullies in school, at work or other places. We went home and closed the door.

Now, with social media viral post anytime anywhere that is not possible anymore.

 

Personally I don't use facebook or any of that. I wouldn't even know if someone writes something bad about me. But it seems many people use that all the time, and all their "friends" are on it. How long does it take to destroy someone on those platforms? And then?

So much about "progress".

Civilisation and progress has many ugly sides, the the toll in human being who cope is one of them.

[Walker88]

21 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Indeed. Many women harp on about inequality but have no idea how hard it can be being a bloke. The expectation… being the breadwinner, providing for family, berated by woman for not having as much as her friends, getting destroyed by the courts when she wants a change etc etc. Harder for a guy to seek help and they are more likely to bottle it up. The addition of social media and that toxic environment for the young uns is another biggie. Especially horrible to hear about kids doing themselves in. People will make light of it and carry on with their day as it means nothing to them. Whatever. 

I think being a man is pretty easy, certainly relative to the biological irritations that come with being female. Women have two choices: bad and worse. They can endure the discomfort of monthly menstruation, or they can get pregnant and watch their body go out of control just to propagate their gene pool and be stuck caring for an ungrateful and demanding pile of pooping, peeing, vomiting, crying flesh that they 'love so much'. No thanks. There's a reason Freud, even if he was a weirdo, never even considered 'womb envy'. Few if any males would envy that baggage. My greatest treasure is my Y chromosome. I love women; I just would never want to be one.

 

All we men have to do is work hard and stay fit, and life is a piece of cake. Yes, we can be 'success objects', but if we're discreet, no one knows our financial status unless we share the news with them, which would be a huge mistake. Only when a relationship reaches an advanced stage, might we share details of our stash...and even then, give it some thought. Or better, find a woman equally successful who doesn't need your money.

 

That being said, being a kid nowadays seems a lot tougher than pre-social media. Kids are so needy today, because they've grown up in a world where one's life is measured in "Likes" (and maybe because both parents work, so kids are starved for affection). It's astonishing to me how public so many young people want/need to make their lives. Half their social media postings are an attempt to build a fantasy about how great their lives are, and in the other half they 'share' every woe-is-me moment of weakness, actually expecting anyone to care---and not feel schadenfreude---when they are 'sad' or 'lonely' or need to ask everyone 'why is my life so difficult'. Also, before social media we actually had genuine friends, even if there weren't 6,589 of them. We spoke to them face to face. When we went out together we actually chatted. We looked across the table, rather than down at our phones.

 

(I use things like LINE and WhatsApp to communicate with my staff and with some women I've met here and there, so I see everyone's "posts". Though I think this craving for attention is bizarre, I tip my hat to a guy like Mark Zuckerberg who saw this Neo Narcissist trend and found a way to monetize it. On balance, however, I think social media is a negative and ultimately harmful.)

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

I think being a man is pretty easy, certainly relative to the biological irritations that come with being female. Women have two choices: bad and worse. They can endure the discomfort of monthly menstruation, or they can get pregnant and watch their body go out of control just to propagate their gene pool and be stuck caring for an ungrateful and demanding pile of pooping, peeing, vomiting, crying flesh that they 'love so much'. No thanks.

Given the choice ,

1. man working for 40 years @ 40+hrs/week and being either asset stripped or living alone.

2. woman, pop two babies and have the rest of your life free from working.

I'd go with being a woman.

 

The peeing, pooping baby only lasts for 2 years, and that's only if you don't hire a nanny to do it all for you.

[ikke1959]

What prevention efforts are made in Thailand?? I never see anything on TV such as a phonenumber for people in mental problems, no psychiatrist psychologists to be found anywhere maybe only in Bangkok. But I only see and read how important beauty is. to be perfect, to have  money, to spend and show to be rich, etc etc... Something is missing 

[BritManToo]

17 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Civilisation and progress has many ugly sides, the the toll in human being who cope is one of them.

Historically 80 percent of men were just cannon fodder and lived short brutal diseased lives.

I prefer civilisation and progress.

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Now, with social media viral post anytime anywhere that is not possible anymore.

As you wrote under this comment, you already know it´s possible.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Plenty of bullies and stalkers on this forum.

Can't even post a thread on 'cook in sauces' without suffering frequent personal attacks from the 'haters'.

That is different.

Even if all members on this forum would agree that they don't like OneMoreFarang, I could just switch it off and never use it again.

With fb and real names and some people friends offline and online that is a lot more complicated to impossible. 

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That is different.

Even if all members on this forum would agree that they don't like OneMoreFarang, I could just switch it off and never use it again.

With fb and real names and some people friends offline and online that is a lot more complicated to impossible. 

You use your real name on Facebook?

I don't even tell my friends my real name in person, they don't need to know.

(I learned this from Thais whom hardly ever use their real names)

[OneMoreFarang]

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You use your real name on Facebook?

I don't even tell my friends my real name in person, they don't need to know.

(I learned this from Thais whom hardly ever use their real names)

My rabbit has an fb account so that he can look at fb accounts if necessary. I don't have such account.

 

But I think lots of teenagers have accounts with their real names. I think some schools even distribute information with fb. They have it a lot more difficult to just switch off. 

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But I think lots of teenagers have accounts with their real names. I think some schools even distribute information with fb. They have it a lot more difficult to just switch off. 

Seems unlikely as you need to be age 13+ to open a Facebook account.

[retarius]

I'm guessing Prayut's 'bringing happiness back to the people' campaign was huge success then?

It has however always astonished me how many farangs commit suicide here by jumping of high buildings.

[Walker88]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Given the choice ,

1. man working for 40 years @ 40+hrs/week and being either asset stripped or living alone.

2. woman, pop two babies and have the rest of your life free from working.

I'd go with being a woman.

 

The peeing, pooping baby only lasts for 2 years, and that's only if you don't hire a nanny to do it all for you.

I guess it's a function of one's personal experience.

 

I enjoyed my work. Still do. It isn't a burden. My spouse was equally successful, so never needed financial support. I chose not to reproduce. (DINKs)

 

Contrast that with PMS, monthly messes, getting bloated with wild hormone changes, morning sickness and stretch marks....and then hot flashes and the bizarre emotional swings of menopause....being a male is so easy in comparison.

 

(An aside: in my experience from speaking with acquaintances or even overhearing conversations in coffee shops, stores, etc., the absolute most boring thing on Zeus' Green Earth is a new mother..."My baby rolled over on his own today!", as if 125 billion humans since Oldavai Gorge hadn't done that. The kid isn't Mozart or John von Neumann, so shut up!)

 

I thank Zeus every day for my gender.

[KhunLA]

Where's the surprise, and just a side effect of lock downs IMHO

 

Loss incomes, and read finances a big part of divorces.  Couple loss finances with broken relationship.  Dim future prospects, and people off themselves.

 

... surprised ????

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how much of those suicides are related to social media.

Not as many as those who are out of work and bankrupt...

while the government house operatives get healthy salaries, health care, pensions and free food.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, retarius said:

It has however always astonished me how many farangs commit suicide here by jumping of high buildings.

Not me, many come here hoping to find the solution to a failed life back home, only to find out this ain't paradise as it claims on the brochure,

[wwest5829]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how much of those suicides are related to social media.

There was a time when we could avoid bullies in school, at work or other places. We went home and closed the door.

Now, with social media viral post anytime anywhere that is not possible anymore.

 

Personally I don't use facebook or any of that. I wouldn't even know if someone writes something bad about me. But it seems many people use that all the time, and all their "friends" are on it. How long does it take to destroy someone on those platforms? And then?

So much about "progress".

I have not read the studies findings as to the reasons for suicide but I think, based on a suicide report segment on the PBS Newshour in the last two days, that reasons vary. I take your point about media exposure and agree that being berated daily with negative news can be depressing. But the underlying causes of suicide are complex and vary among peoples, and cultures. For myself, if I suffer a debilitating illness, leaving me a babbling idiot and have the wit and access, pull the plug … slip me the pill. I am currently certainly not in any hurry but I do not fear the transition which comes to all life.

[Bangel72]

Scams, loan sharks, gambling and other addictions is something they could offer much more help on.

 

They get into a hole and they cannot see a way out, the hole is painful every day and seems to get deeper.

 

Even banks and credit card companies who gave out loans too easily need to take more responsibility. 

 

I sense for many of these its not that they want to die its more they just don't want to live in that hole anymore and cant get out.

 

Providing real help to get out of the hole is something that could be addressed.

 

A lot of the charity groups are helping with the counselling side of things, they are rarely doctors or in positions to actually help people get out of a life hole that needs more than counselling.

 

Consider a gambling addict, gambling treatment here seems to consist of an expensive holiday with life coaches and healthy luxury food.

The target market should in reality cater for people who have lost everything, they have no money for treatment. Accessible rehab options could help here.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Not me, many come here hoping to find the solution to a failed life back home, only to find out this ain't paradise as it claims on the brochure,

I think often it is paradise. The main question is: for how long? 

[BritManToo]

46 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think often it is paradise. The main question is: for how long? 

I agree., but I don't think I have that much time left to worry about 'long time'.

[RichardColeman]

I guess it is easy for us, we have lived, made our money and have retired quite nicely - many thais I guess just see there is no future in their life and give up 

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I guess it is easy for us, we have lived, made our money and have retired quite nicely - many thais I guess just see there is no future in their life and give up 

It's way easier for my Thai kids than my Brit kids.

[Moonlover]

According to WHO anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25% due to covid and as we all know this can most definitely lead to an increase in suicide.

 

https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide

[OneMoreFarang]

In a way it would be interesting to see real statistics why people kill themselves.

But obviously the "why" is sometimes not so easy to establish, and I am sure some people want to hide it.

 

There are rich people who kill themselves and poor people. It's definitely not only about the money.

And then there are lots of people who officially don't kill themselves. But they do deliberately lots of risky and/or unhealthy things which makes it likely that they will die early. 

[3NUMBAS]

scamers target fb and instagram so i use a fake name to keep them at bay as they can bother you

 

but social media is the curse of men and women 

[Confuscious]

13 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how much of those suicides are related to social media.

There was a time when we could avoid bullies in school, at work or other places. We went home and closed the door.

Now, with social media viral post anytime anywhere that is not possible anymore.

 

Personally I don't use facebook or any of that. I wouldn't even know if someone writes something bad about me. But it seems many people use that all the time, and all their "friends" are on it. How long does it take to destroy someone on those platforms? And then?

So much about "progress".

"Progress" is here and the people who can not adapt will step out.
People need to learn that anybody can post in Social Media and can even copy (steal) someone's identity in Social Media and send posts under their name to their friend list.
Rule #1 in this century is to ignore these messages and go on with your life.
Problem is that most of the young people of this decade are prone to Mental Illness and follow other standards as we had.
I grew up and learned that there are only 2 genders, ie.: MAN and WOMAN.
Youngsters from now grow up with 265 Genders.
Not the best times to grow up.

[GammaGlobulin]

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Plenty of bullies and stalkers on this forum.

Can't even post a thread on 'cook in sauces' without suffering frequent personal attacks from the 'haters'.

Maybe you were cooking with the wrong sauce.