Suicide epidemic is a concern

THE recent trend of high-profile celebrity suicides in the United States and Europe might not seem relevant to Malaysia. But all signs are that it is indeed a troubling and dangerous phenomenon permeating all strata of society even in this country.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), suicide accounts for about a million deaths annually, with the five countries having the highest rates being Guyana, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Swaziland and Russia, ranging from 32.5 to 25.3 per 100,000 population. By comparison, the rate for Malaysia is 0.6 per 100,000 population.