NewsWhore
07-19-2011, 03:00 PM
According to Police reports, 11 people have committed suicide over the last four days. An alarming number, if you consider that five of these suicides occurred between last Friday and Saturday. According to psychiatrist Cesar Mella, the spike in the cases registered over the last few weeks, which he described as worrisome, could be due to three elements: the widespread violence that the country is experiencing, the desperation caused by the oppressive economic situation and problems in the quality of life in general, cause by the deficiencies in essential basic services. He stressed that this has a greater effect on the lower income sectors, oppressed as they are by the high cost of the family basket and the lack of opportunities.
"If you add to this the fact that between 5% and 7% of the adult population suffer from nervous depression, this is, at times, the way that is used by the anguish of the human being to end life, beginning with thoughts of suicide, then you can understand that there is a socio-cultural and socio-psychological context that could lead to an explanation," he told Diario Libre. Another element that he noted merited attention is that hanging has been the most frequent method used among the latest reported suicides. "Unfortunately, it is one of the most effective methods," he pointed out.
Dr. Mella said that it is important for community and social spaces like churches should be aware of the signs that a person expresses when they are faced with a situation of depression with thoughts of suicide. He added, moreover, that although the stigma of visiting a psychologist or a psychiatrist has diminished, it is a service that is beyond the means of people on a low income. "Psychological services are not fairly distributed, beside the fact that in private practice the services are very expensive. The few that exist in the public sector are not sufficient to cover the demand."
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#13)
"If you add to this the fact that between 5% and 7% of the adult population suffer from nervous depression, this is, at times, the way that is used by the anguish of the human being to end life, beginning with thoughts of suicide, then you can understand that there is a socio-cultural and socio-psychological context that could lead to an explanation," he told Diario Libre. Another element that he noted merited attention is that hanging has been the most frequent method used among the latest reported suicides. "Unfortunately, it is one of the most effective methods," he pointed out.
Dr. Mella said that it is important for community and social spaces like churches should be aware of the signs that a person expresses when they are faced with a situation of depression with thoughts of suicide. He added, moreover, that although the stigma of visiting a psychologist or a psychiatrist has diminished, it is a service that is beyond the means of people on a low income. "Psychological services are not fairly distributed, beside the fact that in private practice the services are very expensive. The few that exist in the public sector are not sufficient to cover the demand."
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#13)