Role of Government and Youth in improving Mental Health and Prevention of Suicide

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Eman Fatima, currently studying her bachelor in medicine and surgery at International University of Kyrgyzstan (IUK-ISM) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The writer is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writers and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Albert Camus, a philosopher writes: “Suicide is a difficult matter to be solved by philosophy.”
This heinous act is surrounded by many emotional, social, cultural and religious taboos. However, studying those factors, we can reach one major conclusion that human beings have lost the real goals in life.

Man has developed the illusion of satisfaction by pleasure seeking rather than mental peace and spiritual solace. This loss of roots from real grounds of “conscious being” has led desperate masses to suicide unfortunately.

Global ratio of suicide is 10.6 per 100,000 people per annum. It is irrefutable as to the painful fact that this ratio is increasing, particularly in upper middle and lower middle class countries, in terms of financial states of countries and male to female ratio is 1.5:1 with some variables.

World Health Organization (WHO) is collaborating with International Association for Suicidal Prevention (IOSP)an World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH) and 10th September is celebrated every year as “suicidal prevention day”. It is a significant international effort to cut short the statistics of suicide worldwide.

I believe that prevention of suicide has to be addressed at individual and government level simultaneously. Effort will remain futile if any one segment is addressed and the other is left ignored. Every individual lives in a particular system which is run by government of that country, so there should be integrated efforts to improve the mental health to prevent suicidal tendencies in a society.
The government must allocate more budget for mental health programmes to materialize the dream to reduce suicidal rate. No such programme would be sustainable without proper financial support allocation.

The government should make a policy to introduce mental health education at school level and parents must be an integral part of school meetings conducted from time to time at school. Parents should be allowed to give feedback in light of their own children’s mental health and inclinations.
There should be more seminars for awareness about their issue at national level and people should be motivated to participate actively for better results. Exclusive national print and social media cells be organized to address the mental health and prevention of suicidal tendencies among masses. Think tanks can be hired to ponder upon this menace and scholars with international reputation can be invited on government level to address the masses at various levels. Written competitions can be organized at district level to engage the people at gross root levels.

The government must make strict rules to prevent the sale of firearms, sedatives, hypnotic medicines and poisons. Government must set up counselling cells for the persons who has been pointed out by the society or family to have suicidal tendency or had failed attempt. Such cells should have permanently employed psychiatrists, psychologists, career counselors and religious scholars.
The government should leave no stone unturned to improve the socioeconomic status of underprivileged stratum of society to enhance the mental health status and hence prevent suicide. Youth should refrain from sugar coated suicidal pills and should seek counselling from a professional needed.

Now, coming to the role of youth in such a sensitive international issue. I may say it is one of our prime responsibility to identify people with poor mental and emotional health around us who develop suicidal tendency or commit suicide unfortunately. It is a very basic and important vigilance level, which can contribute a lot to nip the evil in the bud. An early diagnosis of such psychological problems can help without much loss in future for the individual and his family.

We youth came up, to cooperate with parent teacher meetings at school level to improve the mental health of our fellow students. We should be active participants of seminars, webinars and various local national and international forums, which are striving for betterment of mental health and prevention of suicidal tendencies.

We should offer compassionate counselling to such morbid people around us. We should indulge in exploring meaningful goals and new venues of life. We can make life more balanced and comfortable by connecting bits of happiness at individual and family level with a sense of gratitude and thankfulness. This individual effort by youth can play wonders in the life of mentally morbid people, who need our moral and emotional support.

Role of youth is the future of the world tomorrow. We should promise to ourselves to stand like a rock to mitigate the menace of mental morbidity and suicide, to make our planet more blissful and enjoyable.

About the author

Eman Fatima is currently studying her bachelor in medicine and surgery at International University of Kyrgyzstan (IUK-ISM) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She received her high school certificate from Government College For Women at Sheikhupura, Pakistan. Like many other brilliant students, she has always been participating in research works and dramatic activities. She inspires and motivates youth for a better life and to be a better human being. Her father is a consultant dermatologist. She runs a page on social media where she motivates people. She has been a member of multi-national projects and courses.