More women attempt suicide than men – Expert

Miss Titi Tade, Clinical Psychologist, Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN) on Saturday said more women attempt suicide than men.

Tade made the assertion while delivering a lecture titled, ‘Depression, vis-à-vis Suicide Rate in the Country, at the July Congress of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Lagos State Chapter

According to her, while more women attempt suicide, women also have more chances of survival than men.

Tade, also a Deputy Director, Medical Social Services at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital(LUTH), noted that this was so because women were more prone to depression than men.

She said women also were more likely to seek help out of depression than the men.

“More women attempt suicide than men and more women survive suicide attempt than men because the method they adopt or substances they take for the suicide are usually milder than the men.

“Out of five women that attempt suicide, four have the tendency to survive, while only one out of five men that attempt such survive,” she said.

According to the psychologists, over 90 per cent of suicide cases are caused by depression.

Tade said 78 per cent of suicide cases globally occurs in the underdeveloped countries while the developed countries record only 22 per cent.

According to her, suicide is a mental case and it kills about one million people daily, while youths and children of about five years are also involved.

“Suicide occurs in every 40 seconds and about 20 to 25 people attempt it, but do not succeed.

“The second highest cause of suicide is failed relationship, while others are terminal or physical illness, genetic factor, cultural factor, social isolation, bereavement, unemployment, amongst others,” she said.

Tade advised Nigerians to reduce stigmatisation, discrimination on mental health issues, over spiritualism and improve communication as well as school mental health programme.

She also urged the government to address the issue of shortage of mental health professionals while the media should desist from its sensational reporting of suicide cases towards curbing the menace.

Mrs Adeola Ekine, Chairperson, NAWOJ, Lagos Chapter, lauded the Psychologist for mentoring the association’s members and sharing from her wealth of experience.

Ekine encouraged women to be closer to their children and give them adequate and effective advise that would guide them to take the right steps in life, as cases of youths involved in suicide were on the increase.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 30 members of the association attended the congress.