KABUL (SW) – In an evident spike, at least 11 people took their lives for various reasons in the past one month alone.
Reports suggest, these number of suicide events that occurred in the past one month alone were reported mainly from Badghis, Ghor, Sar-e-Pul, Bamyan, Faryab, Daikundi, Badakhshan, Khost and Nangarhar provinces.
Most of the victims of suicide in Afghanistan are teenagers and young people, whose depression and anxiety caused by various problems leading to the ultimate decision.
14-year-old Fatema was a resident of one of Daikundi districts who committed suicide. Alidad, Fatima’s father, says that his daughter was a 7th grade student at school and for some time now, she was suffering from a mental illness that sometimes led to her uneasiness and aggressive behavior. He adds: “Her mother was angry with Fatima that you did not wash the dishes, and she eventually hanged herself. Sometimes she would fight with her younger sister and be violent at home. It was eight o’clock in the night when Fatema committed suicide.”
At the same time, the families of a number of people who committed suicide in different provinces of the country mention family violence, mental illness and economic problems as the main reasons for these people’s suicides.
Sharifa, a resident of Khajah Sabzposh district of Faryab, who was also a mother of two children, committed suicide. Her relatives attribute her suicide to family violence and mental illness. Nasir Ahmad, one of Sharifa’s relatives, says that although she was taken to the doctor for treatment but, there was no hopes left. He added: “Sharifa was married to another person 10 years ago and because her ex-husband used to beat her, she suffered from a nervous illness and because of this, she did not treat her husband and children properly. She also bothered other people. We went to the doctor a lot; but it did not work. Finally, she hanged herself.”
Suicides have also increased among men. 32-year-old Ahmed, who was a resident of Abkamri district of Badghis, also ended his life. Ahmed’s relatives say that he was engaged in farming and before his suicide, he behaved violently with his family members and friends. Eid Mohammad, one of Ahmed’s relatives, says that the cause of his suicide is mental illness and says: “Several times his family took him to the doctor and they said that he has a mental illness and needs to be treated. He had a little problem with his nerves, he did not hang himself, it is not known how he strangled himself.”
According to Eid Mohammad, Ahmed’s family members say that there was no violence with him at home.
On the other hand, a number of psychologists say that the loss of personal beliefs and despair about the future, the increasing number of acute mental illnesses, are among the most prominent factors in the increase in suicides. Asadullah Wajid, a psychologist, says: “The issue of suicide is a big issue where environmental, psychological, political, economic and social factors come together and lead a person to commit suicide. In Afghanistan, people’s religious beliefs prevented suicide to some extent in the past.”
On the other hand, social affairs experts also say that positive and negative social changes have a direct effect on the increase and decrease of suicide rates.
Basmullah Yavari, a sociologist, says that setting a role model for a person who committed suicide is one of the dangerous consequences of suicide in a society. Mr. Yavari, about the solutions to reduce the suicide rate, says: “Suicide has a deep connection with society. When the society is moving towards improvement, the level of socializing and empathetic bonds among people increases, the suicide rate will also decrease but, if the society moves in the opposite direction and the situation of suffocation occurs, people will see their dreams in vain and commit suicide.”
ENDS
