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According to the South African Depression & Anxiety Group (SANDAG), 23 suicides and 230 serious attempts are recorded in the country every single day.
SADAG states that a World Health Organisation report explains that suicide is a significant issue in our beloved country. While looking at the data from WHO, SADAG points out that as worrying as the suicide rate was, it was extremely troubling that men were four times more likely to take their own lives. “The majority of our callers are from females, however some of our more acute or emergency cases are from male callers, especially since men use more aggressive methods of suicide,” declares SADAG’s Operations Director Cassey Chambers.
Looking at Newcastle and KwaZulu-Natal as a whole, Willem Rossouw, the Branch Manager of the Newcastle ER24 base, imparts some of his knowledge on the subject from an EMS perspective.
Firstly, Rossouw notes that a dramatic increase in suicides in the area has been observed. Further explaining, “I would say overdosing is the most common, followed by shooting and hanging. Occasionally, someone will gas themselves in their cars.” Affirming that almost 90% of suicide attempts are, in fact, overdosing. “This is because overdosing is less violent, and people find it easier to build up the courage to overdose than they would with shooting or hanging themselves.”
While taking one’s life through pills might seem more straightforward, Rossouw asserts, this is not always the case. “Overdosing is a longer process to die, and paramedics can often get on the scene to try and save the patient. But the individual might die a few days later.”
This is usually due to organ failure from the damage caused by the tablets taken.
Addressing the demographic falling victim to this growing problem, Rossouw explains that suicide is widely spread among various races and age groups in our community. Nevertheless, he stresses, “The majority of people attempting suicide are between the ages of 20 to 50 years of age.”
When looking at one’s mental health during the suicide process, Rossouw points out that these individuals have some form of depression and might be on the required medication. However, he points out that many have not yet been diagnosed nor treated.
SADAG’s Operations Director Cassey Chambers adds, “COVID-19 and the lockdown has affected many South Africans, and it has had a serious impact on people living with a mental health issue often making their symptoms more heightened. SADAG has been receiving calls from people with no history of anxiety or depression who are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and stressed.”
However, the golden question is, what is the most prominent threat to the people of KZN, suicide or the Delta variant of COVID-19? Rossouw emphasises, “COVID-19 is definitely the bigger threat of the two, as it affects everyone. He states that people going through depression are urged to seek help, highlighting that they do not need to go through their dark journey alone.
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