1-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) Last year, suicides in Singapore rose to their highest level in over 20 years, increasing by almost 26%, according to a local non-governmental organization (NGO), Samaritans of Singapore (SOS). The rise in suicide rates was particularly concerning among young people aged 10-29 and elderly people aged 70-79, as per the organization’s annual press release on the issue.
In 2022, a total of 476 individuals took their own lives, the highest recorded suicide deaths since 2000, up from 378 in the previous year, according to the SOS release. The suicide rates among young people aged 10-29 and elderly people aged 70-79 rose by 11.6% and 60%, respectively.
The SOS called the rise in suicide numbers “profoundly heartbreaking” and said it painted a picture of the “unseen mental distress permeating our society, especially amongst our youths and the elderly.” Experts believe that social isolation and loneliness are some of the pressing issues that continue to heavily impact mental health.
The SOS also noted that suicide remained the leading cause of death for youths aged 10-29 for the fourth consecutive year, accounting for 33.6% of all deaths within the age group. Globally, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among those aged 15 to 29, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
SOS chief executive Gasper Tan said suicide was a “complex issue influenced by various factors, including mental health challenges, social pressures, and economic uncertainties.” Singapore, which has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates, is facing a rapidly aging population, with one in four Singaporeans projected to be 65 or older by 2030, up from one in six three years ago.
More than 700,000 people around the world die by suicide every year, according to the WHO.
