By Tapiwa Angeline Ncube
Zimbabwe, along with the rest of the world observed suicide prevention in the month of September. In Zimbabwe, in particular, the National Suicide Prevention Week was observed from 10th September 2023 to 16th September 2023.
According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Prevention and Management of Mental Health Conditions in Zimbabwe Report of 2022, 1.8% of all deaths in Zimbabwe are attributed to suicide, with men contributing a higher rate than women.
The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has also been quoted as stating that the country loses approximately 30 teachers and 6 students every year to suicide. Other statistics have also reported that Zimbabwe has the highest rates of suicide ideation among adolescents in 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a study conducted by Regional Psychosocial Support Initiatives (REPSSI).
These statistics are worrying because, as a nation, Zimbabwe has a massive cost burden in terms of loss of productive and potentially productive workforce in a country already reeling from the devastating effects of brain drain.
However, probably more concerning is the mental health of the people affected. Firstly, a person who attempts or commits suicide is at this point dealing with serious mental health issues from which they see no way out. Such a person is likely plagued by feelings of unworthiness, depression, or feeling like they are a burden to their loved ones, so the only option is to remove themselves from the world.
On the other hand, the loved ones left behind may experience intense feelings of grief and guilt which too can lead to feelings of depression. In extreme cases, if intervention is not administered soon enough, such a person could also decide to commit suicide.
So what exactly is suicide, suicide ideation, and how can it be prevented? Suicide is the purposeful act of committing violence to oneself in order to end one’s life, and this results in one’s death. Suicide ideation, on the other hand, is when one thinks about killing themselves. There is no single cause for suicide and this makes it complicated to predict suicide. Economic challenges in Zimbabwe, marital conflict, and traumatic experiences are cited, by the WHO report, as the main reasons for suicide.
In a patriarchal society, that dictates that the measure of a man is tied to his ability to adequately provide for his family, earning a living in Zimbabwe has been a main cause of stress among men leading to suicide. Women have not been spared from the effects of economic challenges as some may find themselves being the sole provider of the family also exacerbating mental health issues such as depression which are high risk factors of suicide.
There are a number of risk factors for suicide that trigger suicide ideation and possibly suicide itself. These include psychological distress as discussed above, alcohol or drug abuse, previous suicide attempts, bullying, and exposure to violence or abuse especially in the family. Among adolescents, in particular, some of these risk factors play a pivotal role in driving them to suicide. Moreover, in Zimbabwe, parenting styles vary from mostly authoritarian to very lenient parenting styles. In authoritarian parenting, children are expected to obey their elders with little to no question.
Adolescents therefore generally find it difficult to open up to their parents about issues that may be bothering them, thus resulting in them struggling emotionally in silence and failing to develop coping skills. On the other hand, a number of households have no parents present, as parents are working in the diaspora for better income opportunities. This has created a very lenient parenting style as it is difficult to monitor adolescents from afar, resulting, once again, in them lacking an outlet or guidance on the everyday issues they may encounter. Interestingly, a Sunday Mail article which was published on 26 September 2021 may lend weight to the importance of parent and child relationships in impacting suicide. The article reported on 4 separate cases of adolescents who had committed suicide after being reprimanded by a parent.
Talk therapy or counselling is not only probably one of the most effective ways to prevent suicide, but also very cost-effective making it an ideal strategy for Zimbabwe. Mental health issues in Zimbabwe are overwhelmingly high but sadly mental health is generally under-prioritised in our culture. Advancements in psychotherapy and counselling have made them more accessible to people, however, there is a need to bring awareness to people about how counselling can be a viable outlet for them to cope with life’s stresses without resorting to suicide. Counselling offers clients a non-judgemental platform that respects, acknowledges, and validates a person’s perspective of their challenging experiences. This not only provides the client a safe space for them to vent but also helps empower them in developing coping skills to face their challenges and overcome them.
Mental health professionals such as psychologists can further assist, in collaboration with schools and communities, by hosting workshops which not only bring awareness to their services but also teach members of communities on healthy interactions amongst themselves which foster care of each other’s mental health. For example, parents can be equipped with skills on how to interact with their children to create healthy bonds that promote open communication between them. Community members can also be informed of the signs to look out for in each other’s behaviours which may point to high-risk factors of suicide and how they can intervene effectively.
While therapy or counselling can be prohibitive because of cost, there are a number of organisations that offer these services for free or for a minimal fee, such as the Samaritans, and Contact Family Counselling Centre both in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe Psychological Association (ZPA) is yet another mental health care organisation of student psychologists, qualified, and registered psychologists who, on request or invitation, provide psychological services and host workshops. ZPA has a branch in Bulawayo, and its main mandate is to bring awareness of psychological services to the Zimbabwe community.
