SOARING SUICIDE
How to curb suicide as 2023 registers more cases than before
When in distress during this festive, the Botswana Network for Mental Health has availed their Call Centre toll free line 0800 600 961 for relief.
With increasing incidents of people who take their own lives, it has become apparent that individuals need coping mechanisms, and families need the knowledge on how to support people suffering from depression and other mental disorders to prevent one of the devastating causes of death in Botswana, suicide.
Botswana Police reports indicate that suicide cases have been on an upward trend year after year, with 282 cases recorded in 2020, 333 cases in 2021, 391 cases in 2022 and 331 so far in 2023. Dr Neo Molapisi who recently launched his book, ‘When Suicide Beckons,’ told The Midweek Sun in an earlier interview that it is important to understand that suicidal ideation is a theme of depression and it is nonvoluntary. Through the book, he desires to destigmatise mental illness and be a voice of the voiceless and influence policy development by government to attach as much importance to mental wellness as to other physical ailments.
Having experienced depression first hand, Dr Molapisi’s view is that depression related suicide is rife in the Botswana society because of economic pressures, as a result people are unemployed, underemployed and heavily in debt. Additionally, he believes that modern life is fast paced and has multiple social stressors that people are unable to cope with and therefore resort to suicide. Substance abuse, which is rapidly rising, is also amongst the contributing factors. Lastly, the traditional African family structure has degenerated. “People have become so individualistic and hence there is poor social support with correlative poor outcomes during life’s difficulties,” he adds. Dr Molapisi’s antidote to suicide is that firstly, it must be recognized that a suicidal person is emotionally and mentally unwell. Dr Molapisi who has struggled with depression himself says suicide is not well understood in Botswana. “It is highly stigmatised and various judgmental opinions are passed to people who attempt suicide and those with complete suicide. We need to educate the society with focus on risk factors, how to support a suicidal patient and suicide prevention,” he says, adding that suicide prevention campaigns need to be intensified at all levels especially in schools, health care facilities, Dikgotla, large group gatherings and in the media.
Tsotlhe Taupedi, a Counsellor at the Botswana Network for Mental Health, an organization that empowers communities on mental health told The Midweek Sun that in their experience, there are several factors that can contribute towards an individual having suicide ideation, including, previous suicide attempts, childhood trauma, being a victim or perpetrator of bullying, experiencing a stressful event like unemployment, as well as a sense of losing control.
Taupedi explains that they often help people who come to their organization for counseling because they are suicidal. “Someone who is suicidal has already decided how they intend to take their life. As a result, suicidal people pose a great risk because they can act at any time,” he said. Further, that when helping clients who are suicidal, a counselor needs to understand some of the behavioral factors that include, recurrent thoughts of or preoccupation with death, ongoing suicidal ideation with a specific plan, history of suicide attempts that required professional or family intervention, as well as saying goodbyes and giving away personal things. He added that some say things like “I want to die or if I was dead, I would be better of.” They also engage in self-destructive or dangerous behavior such as alcohol abuse, unprotected sex and reckless driving.
According to Taupedi, part of the treatment plan is for the counselor to explore the client’s sources of emotional pain and hopelessness. He says it may also be critical to hold family therapy sessions to promote communication of the client’s feelings of sadness, hurt and anger. “Identify how previous attempts to solve interpersonal problems have failed, leading to feelings of abject loneliness and rejection. In addition, a counselor should identify and replace negative thinking patterns that mediate feelings of hopelessness and helplessness,” he said, adding that speaking to a counselor can also establish whether the client has the ability to access counseling toll free numbers when one feels overwhelmed, as well as understand and identify triggers.
On the effectiveness of toll free numbers that have been availed for people in distress, Taupedi says, they work effectively. These offer a 24/7 safe environment for people to communicate their feelings and seek professional help when they are overwhelmed by emotions. “Having a toll-free phone number allows people to call whenever they need aid. Furthermore, toll free numbers allow clients to call as often as they need, providing them with the support they require or someone to listen to them,” Taupedi said.
According to Taupedi, to reduce suicide incidents in the country, it is important to increase the number of hotlines, which will enable clients to call anytime whenever they need a counselor. He added that promoting psycho-education on suicide prevention and suicide symptoms can also help. He also believes that a review of current approaches and challenges of addressing suicidal ideation, self-harm and suicide attempts among the population is also important. In addition, he is convinced that suicide treatment programs can be implemented as a pilot test in Botswana to see if they work. He also called for resources for evaluation and quality improvement, as well as for implementing programs and practices, and monitoring outcomes. Call centre available on Tel:0800 600 961 961, operates 6pm to 6am on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays.