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April 22, 2009
THE ST INTERVIEW
Suicide peak ahead
By Susan Long, Enterprise Editor
IF THE downturn deepens, Singapore should brace itself for a rise in suicides. And it should do all it can to prevent the increase from starting now, warns Dr Chia Boon Hock.
Singapore’s resident suicidologist, who has spent 40 years collecting and studying suicide data, says there have been four major suicide peaks here over the past 100 years.
Notably, three of these happened just after major recessions, when financial woes and unemployment took their toll. The other came in wartime.
The first was during the 1906 to 1910 Bankers’ Panic financial crisis, which saw the suicide rate surge 71 per cent to 11.3 per 100,000 people.
The second peak was in the aftermath of the Great Depression, from 1936 to 1940, when the toll swelled to 15.8 per 100,000 people.
The third, from 1941 to 1945, during the tumultuous Japanese Occupation, saw a record 16 per 100,000 people kill themselves. The fourth saw 12.8 per 100,000 people ending it all from 1986 to 1990, just after the 1985 recession.
Apart from these peaks, Dr Chia says Singapore’s suicide rate has been on a downward trend and remained relatively stable at about 10 to 12 per 100,000 people per year. That translates to about 400 deaths a year, or one a day.
But if the recession worsens, the 73-year-old psychiatrist says that the incidence of people taking their own lives may be headed for another crest.
Read the full interview in The Straits Times today.
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Suicides in Singapore due to financial difficulties before the Seventies should be very low. I must say that i do not have any statistic to prove my opinion. However, living was never as competitive, stressful and to survive then was much easier.
People living in Singapore before the Seventies hardly stay in highrise buildings, hence suicide by jumping from them was rare. As most were able to find shelters, even foods, in places of worships, market places and make-shift shelters without much interference from the Authority then.
As far as my village was concerned, helps were always available from fellow settlers. Self created occupations from farming, fishing(those staying near the shoreline) hawking of home-made edibles from fried beehoon(vermicelli), homegrown fruits, rojak, otah to dumpling etc were good for survival for big families usually comprised of three or more generations under one roof.
Parents then produced on average three to five children or more. Kinsmanship, clansmanship, communal and community links were close and strong. There were good camaraderies and many traditional, cultural and local activities/festivals that bonded the people together. Hence living was not as great a challenge as it is today.
In Singapore before the sixties(British Ruled) and soon after was sparsely populated and the Government then provided free standpipes and mini-dams to provide drinkable(treated) water. Healthcare and education were also as good as free. As one was able to survive and start a family with scratch, suicide was usually due to family dispute, marital breakdown, love affairs or health problems that caused great physical discomfort and not because of healthcare costs. Hardly anyone committed suicide due to financial reasons.
Living in SIN is very challenging now, however, committing suicide causes much problem and suffering to family members, love ones and friends.
SUICIDE(killing oneself) does not solve problem(s) and one should try ones’ best to overcome difficulties. Seek the helps of relatives, friends, neighbours, colleagues and welfare organizations. Amongst them, there is likelihood of helping hands.
I wish everyone will be strong and hopeful.
patriot