Suicide
- 1. Running head: THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 1 The Problems of Suicide Masaya Sharyo Writing 1 B Kelly Topp December 5, 2014
- 2. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 2 Outline I. Introduction A) Background of suicide B) Thesis statement II. Body A) The causes of suicide 1. Mental problems a) Financial aspects b) Relationships 2. Religion B) The effects of suicide on a country 1. People 2. Economy III. Conclusion A) Brief summary B) Possible solutions
- 3. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 3 The Problems of Suicide It is destiny that people will die someday after they see the light of day, and it is certainly mournful to lose someone even if it is a natural death. People also pass away by an unexpected way such as an accident, killing, or disease. It is more sorrowful as most people want to live until they get old. Unfortunately, there are also many people who decide to kill themselves all over the world. The World Health Organization (n.d.) states that Over 800,000 people die due to suicide every year and there are many more who attempt suicide. (Suicide date, para. 1). This is a large amount. Losing a big number of people is a huge problem for the world. Thus, the causes of suicide should be revealed, and also the prevention should be found. Because committing suicide is not a common action for animals, the cause must be related to reason since animals do not have reason. Human beings who commit suicide would have some troubles. Additionally, numerous serious issues are produced by committing suicide. There are several reasons why people commit suicide by mental problems and religion and also effects how it works to people and economy. Financial aspects Financial aspects cause suicides. CNN Money (2013) mentions that suicides generally jumped when unemployment levels surged, particularly among men in countries that had previously enjoyed healthy employment levels (Financial crisis caused 5,000 suicides, para. 4). Financial uncertainly and losing a job make suicides because it often leads to another negative situation such as depression, concern, and the harmful use of alcohol or drugs. The WHO states 25% to 50% of all suicides use alcohol or any substances, and a lot of professors and organizations stress that in many cases people have depression before they commit suicide. If
- 4. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 4 people are against just financial uncertainly, they will be able to endure it; however, when it mixes with another negative state, the risk of suicide will be risen. Relationships A human relationship induces suicides as well. It is convenient to rely on someone and working with others is more enjoyable and meaningful; nonetheless, occasionally some issues happen between people due to the difference in the culture, appearance, and opinions. Some people feel stressed because of the difference. For example, The World Health Organization (2004) noted Native American Indians in the USA, First Nations and Inuits in Canada, Australian aboriginals, and aboriginal Maori in New Zealand all have rates of suicide that are much higher than those of the rest of the population (p. 36). This is especially for young people. It is because their native culture and language are infringed from the government, so they are sometimes isolated, depressed, and discriminated by others, and the situation leads to suicide. Moreover, abuse and bullying possibly trigger suicides. According to the WHO, the suicide rate is quite high especially among people who were abused when they were children. Bullying constantly tortures people, so it is hard to stand bullying. Both of those are one of the most stressful things, so they are easy to cause suicide. Religion Religion strongly influences peoples life; as a result, it is definitely true that religion affects suicide rate as well. For example, Dervic et al. (2004) claimed that Religiously unaffiliated subjects had significantly more lifetime suicide attempts and more first-degree relatives who committed suicide than subjects who endorsed a religious affiliation. Furthermore, subjects with no religious affiliation perceived fewer reasons for living, particularly fewer moral objections to suicide (p. 2303). One of the reasons is that many major religions like Judaism,
- 5. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 5 Christianity, and Islam make the suicide rates lower because those religious people are not allowed to commit suicide, and it is a sin in the religions. That is why religious people do not commit less than others. In other words, nonreligious people tend to commit suicide compared to religious people. For instance, in Japan the suicide rate is higher than average in the world. Many people do not have certain religion even though they believe superstition or something abstract, but they are not so religious like Christians or others. Through this fact, it is easier to commit suicide for nonreligious than religious people. This could be one of the causes of suicide. People around suicides There are several influences of suicide as well as causes. The biggest effect is on people around a person who commits suicide such as the friends or family. The people will be shocked when they realize their acquaintances death. They also might be going to feel many negative things like miserableness, regret, or depression. It is the most stressful for people when their child commits suicide. It would be traumatic. Around the bereaved family there will be gossip or rumors from neighbors or others. That makes them stressed out too. Anyway, there are many negative influences on people around suicides. Moreover, suicides affect someone far away as well. A sociologist found that Suicides increase immediately after a suicide story has been publicized in the newspapers in Britain and in the United States, 1947-1968. The more publicity devoted to a suicide story, the larger the rise in suicides thereafter (Phillips, 1979, p. 340). It is because people learn to do something due to watching or observing someones action, so a probability to commit suicide will be increased after they watch that someone commits suicide. Also, if media sensationally report a suicide story, people who watch the news will misunderstand that it is like a hero. This is called the Werther effect. Especially, young people
- 6. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 6 are easily affected. People will be influenced when they watch or hear news about suicide. Thus, committing suicide affects people far away through media as well. Economy Another effect of suicide is on economy. The number of people who commit suicide is higher in terms of location in the world. Since people promote their economic growth by working, losing people is a giant problem to the country. For instance, lets say that a man who is thirty years old committed suicide. If the man were alive until seventy years old, he could earn money for forty more years. That means he lost money which he could have earned for forty years. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is one of criterions of how to measure a countrys economic power, is how much people earn in the country, so it obviously affects the GDP if many people commit suicide. Here is an example: The economic cost of suicide death in the U.S. was estimated in 2005 to be $34.6 billion annually. When adjusted for inflation alone, this number rises to $42.2 billion. With the burden of suicide falling most heavily on adults of working age, the cost to the economy results almost entirely from lost wages and work productivity. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, n.d., Fact and Figures section, para. 13) Also, if the man had not committed suicide when he was thirty years old, he could have used more money for the forty years. Using money is important for the economy because someone will get some money as income if someone uses money. Spending money also reinvigorates the economy. Conclusion Several causes such as mental problems and religion lead to suicides, and suicides bring about a lot of negative effects on people and the economy. In a country whose suicide rate is
- 7. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 7 high, suicide is a huge problem. If it gets bigger, the country will collapse. Thus, in order to avoid such a situation, the government has to step in. It is possible to prevent and solve. For example, since people feel stressed from losing a job or financial issues, the government can subsidize people who get fired and support them to get a new job. In addition, the government should provide a place where people can get advice from professional advisers or therapists so that they can consult them in terms of mental issues. It relieves them from their stress. There is also another way to prevent suicide which is to restrict how people get to know committing suicide. Here it is: Education of physicians and restricting access to lethal means were found to prevent suicide. Other methods including public education, screening programs, and media education need more testing (Mann et al., 2005, p. 2064). People should be away from suicides. Suicide does not produce any positive effects; therefore, it is better to prevent it as much as possible and as soon as possible.
- 8. THE PROBLEMS OF SUICIDE 8 Reference American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (n.d.). Facts and Figures. Retrieved from https://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/facts-and-figures CNN Money. (2013). Financial crisis caused 5,000 suicides. Retrieved from http:// money.cnn.com/2013/09/18/news/economy/financial-crisis-suicide/ Dervic, K., Oquendo, M. A., Grunebaum, M. F., Ellis, S., Burke, A. K., & Mann, J. J. (2004). Religious affiliation and suicide attempt. American Journal of Psychiatry, 161(12), 2303 -2308. Mann, J. J., Apter, A., Bertolote, J., Beautrais, A., Currier, D., Haas, A., ... & Hendin, H. (2005). Suicide prevention strategies: A systematic review. Jama, 294(16), 2064-2074. Phillips, D. P. (1974). The influence of suggestion on suicide: Substantive and theoretical implications of the Werther effect. American Sociological Review, 39(3), 340-354. World Health Organization. (n.d.). Suicide data. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ mental_health/ prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/ World Health Organization. (2004). Preventing suicide: A global imperative. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/131056/1/9789241564779_eng.pdf?ua=1&ua=1