THE World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that in Malaysia the suicide rate in 2018 stood at 5.5 per 10,0000 head of population. The number could be an underestimation because of challenges in establishing actual cause of death and many intricacies causing barriers to reporting.
Alarmingly, in the Health Ministry’s 2017 National Health and Morbidity Study, suicidal behaviour from ideation, planning and attempt show an increasing trend among adolescents. WHO reported in 2016 that suicide is the second leading cause of death worldwide among 15- to 29-year-olds. The figure accounts for 25% of 800,000 people who end their own lives yearly. Also, 79% of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries, our country included. Is a better quality of life in high-income countries associated with a lower suicide rate?
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