By Agoku Christine Taban
Suicide cases among young people are rampantly increasing, based on news reports. This has been caused by different factors, which include limited possibilities for income generation, idleness, substance abuse, criminality, armed conflict, and gender-based violence.
Many organizations that are supporting mental health and psychological awareness are still trying their best, but the number of people ending their lives keeps rising. Therefore, there is a need for public awareness. Ending one’s own life is not a solution, whether for marriage-related issues or not.
Young girls have decided to end their own lives by hanging because of pregnancy-related incidents without speaking out or sharing their problems with some friends and relatives. A problem shared is a problem solved, but it depends on whom you’re going to share it with. So, let’s learn to share our issues with a person or people who will contribute productively towards solving problems, but not with those who may add more pain.
Disowning pregnancy is not the end of your life; there is life after that. Young girls should desist from ending their lives just like that and leaving the man to enjoy life. The best thing to do to prevent these situations from continuing is to share mental health and psychological support.
The suicide cases are making this country lose important young people who may become future leaders. Last month, a third-year student at Upper Nile University committed suicide in Gudele, Juba City, under unclear circumstances. Also, a young woman, aged 19, ended her life by gunning herself dead over an alleged love triangle in Jonglei, according to the No. 1 Citizen Daily newspaper.
According to WHO data, as of 2019, South Sudan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, occupying 13th position out of 172 countries surveyed globally and 4th in Africa. With the current economic crises in the country, there is an expectation of more cases due to the hardships, which will be another emerging factor causing suicide.
It should be a collective responsibility to combat suicide cases. Remember, committing suicide is condemned by the Bible, and problem-solving short cuts are not suicide.
Organizations that run such programs related to mental health (counselling) and psychological support should keep on with awareness activities, especially targeting young women and girls, starting from university levels down to secondary and primary schools, respectively, not forgetting grassroots level communities.