news@theindependent.sg
Dear Editor,
I refer to the commentary, “Will suicide be forever a taboo subject in Singapore?”(May 17).
I think most people don’t wish to discuss suicide cases when they meet together not because it is a taboo subject, but chiefly, because it is easier to recall bad memories of someone’s past experience, especially for those who have lost a loved one.
Anyway, bad memories will always make people feel intensely and overwhelmingly ill and sad. According to Dr Laura Carstensen in America, several studies showed that people remember negative things better than positive things.
Therefore, should we trigger stressful experiences such as suicidal incidents occurring in our lives when there are better subjects to talk about?
Researchers reminded us that bad memories will usually stir up our negative emotions like fear and sadness.
Thus, it is meaningful to notice that the writer and her project team had done a far-reaching nationwide survey and study on the suicidal subjects for “Project Save.Me” via diverse channels of face-to-face, digital and telephone interviews in January and February 2022.
The survey revealed a worrying concern, of which more than eight in 10 Singaporeans being surveyed believe that stigma is associated with suicide. However, one heartening news which Project Save.Me survey found that 92 per cent of respondents believe that suicide can be prevented.
Truly, a golden saying, ‘prevention is better than cure’. Prior to any suicide, there are bound to have symptoms or foretell signs of suicide to be traced, predicted and tackled in advance. For example, when you notice someone who has a consistent period of depression, anxiety and stress with signs of awkward, weird or unnatural behaviours that can lead to suicide.
Suicide cases in recent years have increased in tandem as according to TODAY’s report, there were 452 suicides in Singapore in 2020 – the highest since 2012.
Hence, the Institute of Mental Health can play a pivotal role by providing mental health education outreach to all schools, parents with children in need and the community at large.
Education and training will definitely help to identify high-risk groups for suicide. It is key to the early detection and prevention of suicidal tendencies.
Hence, our society should aim into providing timely and necessary psychotherapy, psychological services and counselling to whoever needs it and whenever possible. Any mental health service provider must equip not only the professional expertise and experience, but most importantly, but they must also have a caring heart, committed, unreserved love and good listening ears.
Finally, I hope that one day our society will reach the maturity stage and most of us are able to discuss suicide openly and will no longer shun this sensitive subject-suicide.
Teo Kueh Liang (Mr)
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore.