Tackling suicide issues

SUICIDE issues in Fiji could be tackled if people talked more about the root causes of the problems they faced.

Psychologist Leba Kama highlighted this at the Managing Stress in the Fast-Paced World forum at Lautoka’s University of the South Pacific campus last week.

“The challenge is we know the problem, we try to solve the problem, but we do not know the root cause of the problem and the only way we can tackle suicide is by knowing the root cause of the problem,” she said.

“The great counsellors in life are our parents, your personality and your characteristic started developing from your mother’s womb so whatever your mother was going through –– whether good or bad –– will be reflected when you were born. Most times, parents want to tell their children the best part but hide the great barriers of their lives.

“Everything that is happening today, parents play a huge contributing factor for child development.”

Ms Kama said this was why children in Fiji and the Pacific had low selfesteem because they did not have the confidence to speak up.