Why do people commit suicide?
This is a common question in our societies.
I can’t answer for people, however, I can only speak on what I have observed.
Suicidal prevalence is on the rise in Zimbabwe, especially among adolescents and young adults. This is clearly elaborated by a number of factors which include: economic factors, relationship factors, family factors, bullying and in most cases a lack of identity. Suicide is a tragedy that involves an individual taking his or her own life and over 800 000 peoples’ deaths are related to suicide, making it the second leading cause of death. The impact suicide has on the family members and community of the deceased is devastating and it haunts the relatives for a long period of time. As a nation, Zimbabwe stigmatises mental health illness, suicide attempts and as a result, people fail to seek help and therefore, suffer in silence; in most cases people are pushed to commit suicide as a scapegoat. It is not a secret that non communicable diseases get more attention than mental health issues, the question is why? Even with research and advocacy on mental health; nations, communities and the people still overlook this uprising epidermic that is especially targeting the youth.
Question: What are the suicidal risk factors in Zimbabwe?
1. Economy
In Zimbabwe, the economy is not favourable. The harsh conditions of the nation are driving adolescents and young adults to compromise their livelihood, dignity and academics in order to survive. For example, the University of Zimbabwe and Mount Pleasant High-school students wait in a ZUPCO queue for hours due to unaccommodating bus fares. As a result students miss lectures, some feel demotivated and the desire to live gradually disappears as suffering is the dominant form of living. No one wants to stand in a line for hours underneath the blazing sun! Moreover, students across the country, from high school to university students, have been forced to into the informal sector of business in order to fund their tuition and bus fares. Under normal conditions, the student’s role is simply to go to school and learn. However, we are now living in a time that is pressuring the student to fund for him or herself; from the tuition to the clothes one wears.
Additionally, the economic pressures are forcing young girls to compromise their values. The word “blesser” has become common in our day to day language in Zimbabwe. A “blesser” is generally viewed as a man above the age of 40, who provides money or gifts to a young girl, in exchange for sexual favours. A young girl without tuition, food and the privilege to luxurious gifts or clothes is vulnerable. It is this vulnerability that opens the door for young girls to have “blessers” in their lives. Young girls are then at risk of getting pregnant and Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) as they cannot negotiate for safe sex. An unwanted pregnancy or an STD at a young age is humiliating in the Zimbabwean context, additionally pregnancy for someone else’s husband is said to be demeaning. Our societies are judgemental and young girls are crucified for their mistakes on a daily basis. It is this humiliation, judgement and crucification that pushes adolescents to commit suicide.
2. Relationships
Relationships are significant during the period of young adulthood. Once an individual has an attraction for the opposite sex, the individual acts upon it and a “relationship” forms. In most cases relationships exist due to peer pressure. When individuals are in a relationship, compromises are formed and usually it is at the expense of the girl. An issue that is attached to relationships is that of sex tapes. It is humiliating for a young girl’s body to be the centre of attention for the whole country. In addition, once one has a sex tape, they are treated as a plague. In addition to the issue of sex tapes, pregnancy is a common element in adolescent relationships. What most adolescents overlook is that, sex comes with responsibility; and when this responsibility confronts them, they choose to escape from it through suicide. Recently, in the month of September, 2019 a University of Zimbabwe female first year student committed suicide because she discovered she was pregnant.
3. Family
The family is the first form of socialisation that exists, therefore, it is an integral part of our society and should provide comfort for an individual. Once there is instability in the family, it may cause chaos and result in low psychological well-being. A family is recognized as a support system, however, the youth are pressured academically or they may succumb to emotional and physical abuse under family conditions. In our African context the youth are expected to “grow up” and “learn”, however, it is causing emotional stress reflected in the suicide attempts and cases that exist.
4. Bullying
Bullying can be defined as intentionally harming or threatening a vulnerable individual. In the digital age, cyberbullying which is electronically bullying someone is at the peak, such as sending unpleasant or threatening messages to an individual.
5. Lack of identity
If an economy is forcing individuals to compromise their personhood, relationships are leading to devastating outcomes, one is prone to bullying and the family is not a support system, it is likely that there is a lack of identity. People need to know their identity in order to maintain a balance in their perceptions, desires and actions. If there is a mismatch, one is likely to live in constant cognitive dissonance, which will cause psychological instability eventually. People bottle up their feelings and this is why psychological disorders form. Males’ are more likely to suffer in silence more as compared to the female adolescents because the African context has already crafted a “real man” who is not allowed to be weak. As males grow up, they want to be accepted into a society, even if they know they need to get psychological help, they will not due to their pride. This is the cognitive dissonance that dominates Zimbabwe’s youth leading to why interventions exist to curb suicidal behaviour.
The period of adolescence and young adulthood is a vulnerable stage, inclusive of experimentation and the approach societies, families and institutions use to interact with the youth is crucial to the adolescents’ and young adults’ psychological well being. Let us not be ignorant to the suicidal risk factors that surround us, our families and our societies. YOU DO NOT LIVE IN ISOLATION, SO DO NOT ACT LIKE IT!
#be someone’s safe place
#be there for someone
#Lend an ear
Note this is the first part to “suicide an epidermic on the rise”
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