Suicides on the rise in Poland, psychologists warn

Photo: Glowimages

Psychologists point to alarmingly high rates of suicide attempts in the country, as on average fifteen people attempt to take their life each day, statistics show.

In recent years, the suicide death toll has outpaced the number of people killed in road accidents. Police figures show that 4,177 people took their life in 2012 (out of 5,791 attempts), while 3,571 died in traffic crashes. Also, 373 children and teenagers, aged between 14 to 19, sought to kill themselves in Poland.

Magdalena Sobczyk, from the Bureau of Antiterrorist Operations at police headquarters in Warsaw, points out that while the data for 2013 are as yet unknown, the number of suicides is expected to outrun that of the previous year.

The data reflect an ongoing global trend. Back in 1998, suicides ranked as the eighth leading cause of death in the world, but have since moved up to fourth place, says Piotr Wierzbiński, from the Adult Psychiatric Clinic at the Medical University in Lodz,central Poland. “What is most disturbing is that it is the second most common cause of death among seven- to 19-year-olds,” he adds.

The stressors identified by psychiatrists as the most common reasons behind suicide include psychological distress, alcohol abuse, social isolation, severe diseases or a loss of capacity for rational thinking linked with mental disorders. Men aged under 20 or over 45 stand out as being a particularly vulnerable group.

Suicides are one of the chief themes of this year’s nationwide awareness-raising campaign, Forum Against Depression, launched this month. (aba/jb)

Source: PAP