Cambodia's Suicide Numbers: 873 Dead in 2022

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Suicide takes lives of 873 year-to-date: Nat’l Police
Khouth Sophak Chakrya | Publication date 21 December 2022 | 21:45 ICT

Nearly 900 people have committed suicide in Cambodia so far this year, with the most common influencing factors being debt, depression, failed relationships, chronic illness or psychosis due to the effects of alcohol and drugs, according to a new report by the National Police.

The report said the leading methods of suicide were hanging, poison, jumping from tall buildings and bridges, self-immolation and firearms.

“A total of 873 people died and 13 others were injured in suicide attempts,” it said.

Globally, suicides have risen steadily since 2016, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), with no country claiming to be able to address this issue successfully.

“Every case is a tragedy that has a lasting impact on survivors, including families, communities and the nation as a whole. It is the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide among people aged 15-29,” said a WHO report.

It points out that although there is a strong connecting between mental illness and suicide in high-income countries, most suicide cases occur in times of crisis, when people feel unable to cope with stress, whether brought on by chronic pain or illness, financial difficulties or the end of a relationship.

Sek Socheat, co-founder of the Mindset Development Organisation, said that suffering from severe social and economic injustices was a motivating factor for some individuals to become mentally ill and often led to depression. In the process of developing severe depression, some patients lose self-control and do not consider their own lives worthless.

“A lack of education mechanisms to raise awareness of mental health issues is one of the reasons why so many people are vulnerable to serious depression. This, coupled with serious social and economic injustices, has led to some patients committing suicide.

“The most urgent and effective solution would be to integrate mental health education into the community and provide socio-economic and health support to more communities,” he told The Post.

Yim Sobotra, a psychiatrist at the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, has observed that patients with chronic mental illness or severe depression were often motivated by a perceived lack of opportunities or poverty, or had suffered from excessive violence or abuse.

“If people are aware they are experiencing mental health difficulties, they should seek a consultation with a qualified professional. Receiving treatment from a specialist will help them to manage their stress and anxiety more effectively. Parents, guardians or family members should encourage one another to seek help,” he told The Post.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... atl-police

However, these figures show that the suicide rate in Cambodia is in fact, stable or slightly decreasing:
Cambodia Suicide Rate 2000-2022
Suicide mortality rate is the number of suicide deaths in a year per 100,000 population. Crude suicide rate (not age-adjusted).

Cambodia suicide rate for 2019 was 4.90, a 0% increase from 2018.
Cambodia suicide rate for 2018 was 4.90, a 2% decline from 2017.
Cambodia suicide rate for 2017 was 5.00, a 1.96% decline from 2016.
Cambodia suicide rate for 2016 was 5.10, a 0% increase from 2015.

https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/K ... icide-rate