Dr Ravivarma Rao Panirselvam from Miri Hospital points out that when a person is expressing suicidal thoughts, it is not to seek attention; rather, it is a signal for help. – Stock photo
KUCHING (Sept 11): Suicide cases could be prevented if appropriate help is provided for those who need it, says a psychiatrist.
Dr Ravivarma Rao Panirselvam from Miri Hospital points out that when a person is expressing suicidal thoughts, it is not to seek attention; rather, it is a signal for help.
“When someone is expressing suicidal thoughts, we must take it seriously. Expressing suicidal thoughts is not an act of seeking attention, as it can be an indicator of a mental health problem,” he spoke during a webinar on ‘Awareness of Suicide Issues in Conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day’, conducted by Sarawak Social Development Council yesterday.
According to Dr Ravivarma, there are direct and indirect signs of someone who is suicidal – he or she may appear to be hopeless, dependent on alcohol, experiencing psychosis and resorting to isolation from others.
“Maybe they become withdrawn and quiet, engage in will-writing or give out important things to people. When someone is expressing suicidal thoughts, take it seriously.
“Getting help is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. They need help and they should get help,” he said.
Dr Ravivarma also shared an idea on ways to approach a person having suicidal thoughts and get him or her to open up.
“I have observed that most of the time, people with suicidal thoughts just need a listening ear, and what those around them can do is to hear them out.
“You can ask them if they had that (suicidal) thought – for all you know, it could be a life-saving conversation. Be more caring about the people around you.
“People who are suicidal are not expecting solutions. They just need someone to listen to them, so be the light. Suicide is a public health issue and should be discussed and taken seriously by the community,” he said.
Dr Ravivarma pointed out that among the contributing factors in suicide cases were the stigma against those facing mental health issues in getting assistance, drug abuse, conflicts, unemployment, and also media reporting.
In responding to a question, he said individuals who received suicide-related images uploaded on social media chat groups must stop circulating them.
“You can stop it – do not share. Tap the delete button and erase the message from the device.
“You can respond to the sender by telling that it’s not safe to share.
“There is a way to communicate in a closed circle. We need to educate people who share it.”
The webinar yesterday concluded with Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Woman, Family and Childhood Development Sarawak, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, performed the virtual launch of a guidebook on suicide prevention.
The minister said the guidebook was developed by the Sarawak Social Development Council, an agency under her ministry, with collective efforts from others including media experts, Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and mental health experts.
She also said the guidebook would serve as a guideline for the authorities to issue press statements relating to suicide cases towards advocating accurate and responsible media reporting.
She said it had been scientifically proven that responsible reporting could help reduce the incidence of suicide cases.
“At this moment, this guidebook has been disseminated to all police stations and Resident’s Offices throughout Sarawak.
“Together, we can create hope through action,” said Fatimah.