Global Views of Suicide

IASP x HBGI Survey

TW: The below blog post discusses suicide and stigmatizing beliefs associated with suicide. 

Introduction and Rationale

For Suicide Prevention Month in September, we at HBGI collaborated with the International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP) to better understand how suicide is discussed internationally. 

In many communities across the globe, suicide is heavily stigmatized. However, this stigma presents in different ways across different countries, cultures, and languages. Our informal, open-ended survey aimed to understand how those perspectives may shape the way different places conduct research and how we may all benefit from working together as a global community (Appendix A). 

We hope you will find this brief summary informative and that it helps you think critically about how global perspectives can support local research. 

Findings

We received 16 responses from 14 different countries spanning Asia, South America, Europe, and Africa (Appendix B). 

Overall, we found that stigma around suicidality is improving but still prevalent, especially among the older generations. Across geographies, there are many cultural, linguistic, and social differences in how stigma around suicide presents. For example, in some places like Uruguary and Trinidad and Tobago, taking one’s own life is considered shameful and not discussed openly; in others like Ghana, suicide is not just taboo but illegal. In other countries like Kenya and Thailand, suicidal thoughts are associated with beliefs around witchcraft, superstitions, or rituals.

About half of respondents said that this stigma caused their country to conduct insufficient suicide research. 

“The lack of openly talking about the subject reduces the amount of research. Many healthcare universities do not have classes on suicide prevention. Ethics committees are very afraid of passing projects related to suicide. We have a long way to go in terms of more research and especially research that investigates how the way of speaking affects asking for and receiving help, and how it increases prejudice and stigma.”

-Karen Scavacini from Brazil

Taking a more global view of suicide can help support local suicide prevention in several ways. First, several respondents said that international views can encourage local researchers and policymakers to address underlying causes and societal factors associated with suicidal behavior. Respondents highlighted that a more global view can also help reduce local stigma. 

“[A more global approach to suicide research] will help our current push to decriminalise attempted suicide, and it will help people understand that it is a global issue.”

-Raphael Ogbolu from Nigeria

However, respondents cautioned that we must not take a “one size fits all” approach that replicates uneven power dynamics between geographies. If it is done at all, thinking more globally about suicide prevention and suicidality must support the work done by local communities. 

“Because suicide is not openly discussed in my geography, it inhibits what can be researched and how it should be researched…..potential participants might be worried that the researcher would report them to the police authorities.

I think that local researchers can learn a lot from research that is conducted globally. Having said this, we need to be mindful of not having one kind of approach to research or to the understanding of suicide. Local researchers would have to tailor the research to the local context and approaches.”

-Anonymous from Ghana

We thank survey participants for sharing their candid reflections for this blog post.

Appendix A: Methodology

We distributed a 3 question survey to our Lived Experience Council. IASP distributed the survey to their National Representatives. 

The questions are below:

1.     How is suicide discussed in your native language or geography? Is it stigmatized or openly discussed? Is the way it is discussed in your native language or geography different from English/other geographies?

2.     How does the way suicide is discussed affect how it is addressed by researchers? Do you feel current local research addresses the needs of people who have experienced suicidal thoughts?

3.     How could thinking about suicide in a more global way lead to better research and policy in your country?

We then reviewed the answers and analyzed for common themes. 

Appendix B: List of Countries

Where one country had more than 1 respondent, the number is noted in parentheses. 

Europe: Austria (2), Denmark, Ukraine

Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Iran

South America: Brazil, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago

Africa: Ghana, Kenya (2), Nigeria