2019 is the 13th consecutive year with more than 500 suicides in the Dominican Republic. Last year, there were 310 suicides. This is alarming mental health professionals and those who work trying to prevent this epidemic. According to data given to Listin Diario by the Ministry of Public Health, a total of 284 people committed suicide in the first six months of this year, an average of 47 per month, of which 247 were men, for 87%.
On the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Month on 9 September, the World Health Organization (WHO) has lamented that very few countries have the prevention of suicide as a priority.
In the Dominican Republic, in the first semester of the year, 59 people over 60 committed suicide, 57 between the ages of 40 and 49, 51 between the ages of 20 and 29, 42 between the ages of 30 and 39 and 41 between the ages of 50 and 50. There were 13 suicides by adolescents and seven by children.
January was the highest month with 57 suicides and by region, Santo Domingo heads the list with 60; followed by Santiago, 41; National District, 24; San Cristóbal, 15; Duarte (San Francisco de Macoris), 14; La Vega, 13; Espaillat (Moca), 12, and San Juan de la Maguana.
Over the last 12 years (2007-2018) there have been 6,781 suicides with 85% being men, for an average of 565 a year. 2011 and 2012 were the worst years with 637 and 638 suicides, respectively.
According to the WHO, every year around one million people commit suicide, or one person every 40 seconds. The statistic does not include attempted suicides that are 20 times more frequent than successful suicides.
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Listin Diario
10 September 2019