CONTRIBUTORS
Michelle Mbuthia
Senior Communications Officer
I was a teen when I first encountered suicide. Before that, I had heard about one or two cases, and even then, I did not quite understand the impact. My friend grew up as the only sister to six older brothers. Her parents doted on her, and her brothers were very protective. To say that the neighborhood kids were envious of how spoilt she was is an understatement. Of the six brothers, John* stood out, literally and figuratively. He often walked around in joggers and bodybuilder’s vests and was frequently spotted doing crunches or press-ups—the quintessential bad boy with a train of girlfriends to boot.
Everyone knew not to cross him and, by extension, his family members. We feared and wanted to be like him in equal measure. Years later, a series of tragedies rocked the family- one of the brothers fell ill and died, and the parents followed not long after. One morning, I received a text from a mutual friend. John had been found hanging out in the storeroom of the family home. He had been unreachable for several days, and one of his brothers had gone to check on him. Those of us who knew him were shocked. He was such a strong person- what happened? It has been fifteen years since then, and the questions still linger. Why? What was going on? Could we have done something? Is there something we missed?
With more than 720,000 suicide deaths worldwide each year, suicide is a serious public health concern. Of these, 73% occur in low and middle-income countries. Every suicide has an underlying cause and also profound effects on the bereaved families and communities, having far-reaching social, emotional, and financial ramifications. Among those aged 15 to 29, suicide ranks as the third most common cause of death. As with many other issues related to mental health, national statistics on suicide are often underreported owing to many factors, such as stigma and lack of case reports. The stigma around mental health struggles prevents many individuals who have mental health challenges, including suicide ideation, from obtaining the necessary support. In addition, data limitations mean that suicide is less often recognized as a severe public health issue, leading to a lack of attention on suicide prevention measures. The criminalization of suicide in many countries, particularly in low and middle-income countries, including Kenya, calls for a paradigm shift in how suicide is perceived in society; that one who attempts suicide, successful or not, is unwell and in need of assistance. Making suicide a crime imposes a heavy burden of shame on those suffering and their loved ones, owing to stigma, and also discourages help-seeking. This, in turn, makes it challenging to collect and form an accurate picture of suicide at all levels.
While the general conversation around mental health has been gaining traction over the last couple of years, a lot more needs to be done to prevent more people from reaching the final stop on the journey of mental illness; stakeholders across the mental health continuum need to walk the talk-strong, supportive communities can act as a protective factor, providing people with the sense of belonging, understanding, and purpose they need to survive difficult times, sustained commitment and action from governments, policymakers, and funding bodies by ensuring the availability of adequate resources and comprehensive policies to ensure last-mile access to mental health care, crisis intervention, and prevention initiatives. Researchers, too, have a role to play by making an evidence-based case for more significant investment in mental health. However, the greatest of all would be centering people with lived experience, who can provide unique insights into the thought processes of those with suicidal ideation and, therefore, what might work as a policy and program action. Perhaps then we can prevent one more person from losing their lives to suicide.