Rising Suicide Rates in Iraq: A Warning Bell for Society and Government

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[size=52]Rising Suicide Rates in Iraq: A Warning Bell for Society and Government[/size]

[size=45]Iraq has witnessed a significant increase in suicide cases in recent years, raising increasing concern among officials and society alike. This increase comes amid difficult economic and social conditions.[/size]
[size=45]In addition to the psychological challenges that many citizens, especially young people, suffer from, such as unemployment and social marginalization, which leads some of them to resort to suicide as a final solution to their problems.[/size]
[size=45]The official spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Saif Al-Badr, says, “Suicide is a global phenomenon that causes the death of 800,000 people annually, at a rate of one person every 40 seconds, and represents the fourth leading cause of death worldwide for people between the ages of 10 and 29, according to reports from the World Health Organization.”[/size]
[size=45]“The estimated suicide rates in the Middle East Region are generally lower than in other WHO regions, which may be due to the prevalence of religious beliefs and social and cultural traditions that influence suicidal behaviour,” he added, adding: “However, there is evidence that suicide rates in the Middle East Region are relatively high, especially among young people aged 15-29 and older people over 60.”[/size]
[size=45]While reviewing the official statistics on the number of deaths resulting from suicide issued by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council (as the body responsible and authorized to issue statistical data and figures in Iraq - except for the Kurdistan Region) for the period from 2017 to 2022, we see them as follows:[/size]
[size=45]-178 suicides in 2017.
-306 suicides in 2018.
-316 suicides in 2019.
-233 suicides in 2020.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Badr added, “Official statistics indicated a clear increase in 2021 as a result of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, as 364 suicides were recorded and 511 suicides in 2022,” noting that “through studying and comparing the statistical figures, an increase in the number of cases was observed between 2017 and 2022.”[/size]
[size=45]He explained that “official statistics showed that the most common methods used in cases of suicidal behaviour are hanging, burning, and the use of firearms, in addition to other methods. The reasons leading to suicide were also indicated as being due to psychological reasons at a rate of 45-50 percent, in addition to social, familial, and economic reasons, in addition to reasons related to the use of narcotic substances and various psychotropic substances.”[/size]
[size=45]It shows, “As indicated by the official statistics issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Health, as the body responsible for issuing data on suicide attempts that did not result in death, there were 1,028 suicide attempts in 2022, the majority of which were by females.”[/size]
[size=45]The ministry spokesman continued, “The statistics indicated that the age group under 18 years represented 20%, and the reasons for suicide attempts were due to psychological reasons at 43%, family reasons at 35%, economic reasons at 15%, and other reasons at 8%.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, academic Qasim Hassan Saleh says, “The Iraqi governments and ruling parties have not addressed the causes that lead to suicide, although psychologists, sociologists, and intellectuals have written dozens of articles containing scientific treatments to limit this phenomenon, with the exception of one treatment devised by the Baghdad Municipality, which is that fences will be built on bridges to prevent young people from committing suicide.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, "The causes of suicide can be summed up in three: unemployment among the youth, deteriorating social and economic conditions, and backward social customs and traditions. These are the traditional causes of suicide."[/size]
[size=45]He added, “When an individual finds that reality does not provide him with a solution to his problem, and reaches a stage of despair and helplessness, he resorts to ending his life. There is more than one incident, including the suicide of six women in Najaf ten years ago, which came about because of the difficult situation of their children, and because they were unable to support them, they chose to commit suicide collectively.”[/size]
[size=45]In addition, MP Nour Nafeh says, “Parliament is closely following the increasing suicide cases in several Iraqi governorates, which have recently reached exceptional numbers compared to previous years, especially among young people under the age of 30.”[/size]
[size=45]She added, “Poverty, family problems, and psychological crises are direct causes of the suicide fever, in addition to the pressure of studying and results, which have pushed some students in the prime of their lives to commit suicide in a very painful manner during the past months.”[/size]
[size=45]It turned out that “part of the exacerbation of the suicide phenomenon is what is being promoted on social media platforms and some websites, which give a simple concept of suicide, and present it as a treatment for problems,” noting “the need to adopt serious solutions and open up to programs that contribute to reducing suicide rates, which are rising at an alarming rate.”[/size]
[size=45]The MP continued, “The sensitivity of the suicide file pushes many families to conceal the reasons behind their children’s suicide, which is a big mistake, as it hinders the possibility of studying and containing it early through psychiatry, which represents a treatment no less important than any other medical procedure.”[/size]
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