A Clinical Psychiatrist, Dr. Raphael Ogbolu, has said that depression is the strongest contributor to suicide, saying over 90% of people who kill themselves have depression.
Dr. Ogbolu spoke on Sunday at the annual Health Education Talk organised by the Divine Physician and St. Luke Catholic Chaplaincy Centre, LUTH/ CMUL, Idi – Araba, in Lagos.
Speaking on the topic, “Depression and Suicide,” he disclosed that suicide occurs every 40 seconds.
“Every 40 seconds, somebody is killing himself or herself all over the world and while that happens, another 20 to 25 are attempting to kill themselves but they have not been successful,” he said.
Noting that suicide had become a serious global public health problem, the psychiatrist further disclosed that in Nigeria the rate of suicide was put at 9.3 % per 100,000 in 2015, rising from 6.5 % in 2012.
Also, he said a survey carried out by the Police Command in seven states of the country, reported in September last year, showed there were over 62 cases of suicide, the largest number coming from Ogun State with Lagos following.
Continuing, he said, “At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, looking at suicide cases over the past five years up to the middle of this year, we have recorded 75 cases. This year has the highest number of 20 and the year is not even over. Most of them are single males between the ages of 20 and 49, using chemicals like kerosene, brake fluid and Snipper to kill themselves.”
Dr. Ogbolu was of the view, however, that depression and suicide cases were under reported due to stigmatization especially the criminalization of suicide.
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“Criminalisation of attempted suicide makes it difficult for people to report it. If you are caught, the punishment is 12 months imprisonment. It is ironic – somebody who is going through challenges in life attempts to kill himself and you lock him up in a prison instead of trying to get him help. What you are saying, therefore, is that if you attempt to kill yourself, make sure you die or else!”
He said almost all the people who committed suicide would have told somebody only that they were not taken seriously.
Dr. Ogbolu told his audience that over 300 million people in the world were affected by depression.
His words: “Depression affects 322 million people in the world. That accounts for about 4.4% of the world’s population. Of these 322 million, 30 million of them are in Africa and that’s a gross under estimation. It is far more than that because it is under reported.
“Depression has been found to be commonest among women. Some of the reasons for this include hormonal changes, child birth and having to play the dual role of mother and also working to earn a living to support the family.
“Also, a look at all the regions of the world shows that African women are the most depressed. We don’t have a clear answer why this is so though a number of reasons have been adduced,” he said.
The consultant psychiatrist described depression as a medical condition, a mood disorder characterized by a very persistent low mood and sadness.
“We have all lost someone close to us. That sadness you feel when you lose someone. Your day seems very dull, you are not interested in eating, sleep doesn’t come, nothing interests you. Imagine someone feeling that way every day of his life for long years. That gives you an idea of what depression is,” he said.
