The number of suicides in Singapore, one of the world's top wealthiest countries, has risen by nearly 26 percent over the past year, the highest rate in the country in two decades.
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), a non-governmental organization that works to prevent suicide, reported this information along with this statistics in their annual press release.
The organization said that the number of suicides in 2022 is 476 which is the highest since 2000. Last year this number was 378. The number is a reflection of the "unseen mental anguish" in the country, the release said.
And it is said that the number of children-teenagers and young people aged 10 to 29 years is more among those who commited suicide. And among the elderly, the suicide rate is highest among those aged 70-79.
Jared Ng, a veteran psychiatrist and mental health consultant, said it was heartbreaking to see the massive increase in suicides in the city-state of Singapore. This is an illustration of the amount of unseen mental anguish that goes through in our society, especially the youth and the elderly.
He said it is vital that we remain vigilant about issues such as social isolation and loneliness, which put a huge strain on mental health.
According to the SOS, the most committed suicides are children - adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 and 29. Their number is 33.6 percent of total suicides. In 2022, the number of suicides among this age group was 125, which were 112 the previous year.
According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among adolescents aged 15 to 29 years globally.
In Singapore, 48 people between the ages of 70 and 79 committed suicide last year which is 60 percent more than the previous year.
SOS chief executive Gaspar Tan said suicide is a complex issue, influenced by a number of factors, including mental health challenges, social pressures and economic uncertainty.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 700,000 people die by suicide every year.