SUICIDE RATES

SUICIDE RATES

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42.

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports from 2003 to 2006, whether there is a trend of increasing suicide rates for men in their 40s and women in their 50s and, if so, what are the reasons for the suicides and what preventive measures can be taken.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Suicide trends among men in 40s and women in 50s

The suicide rate has been increasing for both men in their 40s and women in their 50s since 2003. In 2003, there were 14 suicides per 100,000 men in their 40s. This number increased to 19 per 100,000 last year. For women, there were 8 suicides per 100,000 women in their 50s in 2003. And this increased to 13 per 100,000 in 2006. In 2004, our overall suicide rate for those aged between 45-54 years is 12 per 100,000, which is lower in comparison with other countries such as Japan, Hong Kong and Switzerland, where suicides per 100,000 among those in the same age group are above 20.

The increase in the suicide rate is a worrying trend, as each suicide is a tragic loss for the family as well as for the community.

Reasons for suicide

There are multiple reasons that may lead a person to contemplate suicide. Each case is unique, and is often accompanied by a combination of psychological, emotional, social, relationship and material problems. Contributing factors such as personality traits, mental health and socio-cultural environment may also play a role.

Prevention

The family, as the first line of care, has a crucial role to play. Strong family ties and support will help to strengthen an individual's emotional and mental well-being. Friends and neighbours can also help to identify persons in distress, provide emotional support, encourage them to seek help early or call for help on their behalf.

The Government works closely with various community organisations to help vulnerable individuals and their families cope with crises or stressful periods of their lives. Some of these services are funded by my Ministry, the Ministry of Health, and the National Council for Social Service (NCSS). Some of the services include:

a) A 24-hour hotline run by the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), that handles calls of distress. The SOS also provides an email befriending service as well as an Emergency Squad that provides on-site support to highly suicidal individuals.

b) Counselling services run by the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH), Family Service Centres (FSCs) and SOS. All these centres have toll-free helplines or hotlines for people to call in to.

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c) Financial assistance for those in financial difficulties or are unable to afford healthcare costs. Such assistance is provided through the ComCare Fund, and the Medifund.

d) Specialised treatment for those with psychological or mental problems. Such services are provided by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the restructured hospitals.

Our mental health and social service professionals are trained to identify, detect and treat persons at risk. IMH, for example, has implemented various community-based programmes to detect severe mental health problems early, to support patients within the community, and to help prevent relapses. Help is also given to family members and loved ones affected by a suicide. SOS runs the Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS) programme to reach out to family members of suicide victims, who may experience trauma.

As a key preventive strategy, the Government, together with various voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs), has been actively promoting public awareness on mental health issues for the past few years. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) and various VWOs such as the SAMH and SOS organise regular outreach programmes that include talks, discussion forums and workshops, to raise public awareness on issues related to mental health or suicide.

More resources will be invested on mental health promotion and treatment. The Health Promotion Board (HPB), in collaboration with my Ministry, Ministry of Education, employers and grassroots organisations, will be expanding mental health programmes to help people manage stress and build strong relationships with family members, colleagues and friends. An Inter-Ministry Working Group on Mental Heath, chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, with representatives from Government and non-Government agencies has been formed to look at ways to improve the mental and emotional resilience of our people.

With these joint collaborations and close partnerships with community organisations, we hope to detect and prevent suicides more effectively.