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“Parents and adults need to be less judgemental and more supportive. ”
OPINION: In Gauteng, more than 40 suicides have been recorded in schools since the beginning of the year. There is a chance that the number may exceed 40 since there are learners who dropped out, writes Hendrick Makaneta.
According to SASOP, 'South Africa is ranked number 10 on the list of countries with the most suicides, with 23,5 per 100 000 population. Of the 13 774 suicides reported in South Africa, 10 861 were men whilst 2 913 were women – translating to a rate of 37,6 per 100 000 for men and 9,8 per 100 000 for women. '
Research has shown that people who love animals have a specific version of the gene that produces the love hormone oxytocin, which is essential for human empathy and social bonding.
People who experience thoughts of ending their lives describe this mental space as feeling ‘grey’.
Psychiatrist and mental health advocate Dr Kim Laxton believes that in order to understand and offer the support needed to de-stigmatise mental health, loved ones are encouraged to attend a session to better grasp the gravity of the situation in order to offer support or avoid feeling helpless.
Statistics show that suicide is the second most common cause of death in people aged 15 to 29, but some children as young as 6 have been deemed suicidal.