At least 250,000 Chinese Commit Suicide Every Year

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 09, 2003

At least 250,000 Chinese Commit Suicide Every Year

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World Health Organization (WHO) and International Suicide Prevention Organization has fixed September 10 as the "International Suicide Prevention Day", which indicates that suicide has become an increasingly serous issue of public health. According to statistics, at least 2 million Chinese commit an attempted suicide every year, that is, one person dies of suicide and eight do an attempted suicide in every two minutes. The average age of the suicide persons is 32 years old. The mentally retarded persons, those suffering from bad marriage and the poor are the top three groups of people who are most possible to commit suicide.

The main reason for the suicide of teenagers is the heavy social pressure they bear and their low psychological qualities and abilities to cope with pressure (as they are lack of the necessary frustration education and psychological education in their family and school), according to Nie Zhenwei. As an assistant professor, he is a famous specialist of teenagers' psychological research, and also vice secretary-general of the research of psychological quality for the institutes of higher learning in Beijing. To prevent the suicide of teenagers is not only their personal behavior, says Professor Nie, it is of utmost importance for families and schools to "jointly take part in" the prevention, not only to improve the psychological quality and self-control ability.

With regard to the frequent female suicide in China, the main reason is that Chinese women on the whole are facing with heavy pressures and easily affected by their moods, according to Madam Lin Yanan, a famous specialist of female issues in Hong Feng Female Psychological Consultation Center. Women have to be confronted not only with the competition pressure in society as men do but also to do household work in their families, which usually makes them so tired with a number of them often suffering from family violence. Besides, women are also burdened with the pressure from their children. Once their children meet with troubles in study or living, as the mother they will be easy to blame themselves and bear full responsibility.

According to Madam Lin, two methods should be taken in order to reduce women's suicide. First and foremost, women should be good at using the social resources and looking for supports from the society. Secondly, they should have more interests and hobbies and take part in more social activities, avoiding being unsociable and eccentric and becoming the appurtenances of their husbands and children.

Psychiatrists hold that there is so far no effective method for inducing the suicide in a big way. However, it is sure that many active factors can be used to prevent the suicide ideas and behaviors, which include excellent self-confidence, sufficient support from the society (especially those from the families and friends) and happy marriage.

By PD Online Staff Liu Wei

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