Although taking one’s own life is a decision that is made under high levels of stress and despair, carrying out this fatal idea is more difficult than it seems. Most people who attempt suicide in one way or another end up paying dearly with injuries and scars that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The best option will always be to seek help, in life everything tends to improve.
This is the case of Medellín, a city where there has been a notable increase in suicide attempts. This is what the statistics of the District Office of Medellín say, an entity that warned with concern the high number of suicide cases and suicide attempts in the city.
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Medellín Ombudsman warns of an increase in suicides
This agency of the Public Ministry, through the Observatory of Women, Sexual and Gender Diversities in joint work with the Observatory of the Fundamental Right to Healthperiodically monitors the figures to activate the necessary routes that allow the corresponding entities to prioritize the execution of actions that help prevent these behaviors.
According to the sources of the Epidemiological Surveillance System – SIVIGILA and the Single Registry of Affiliates – RUAF, compared to the first quarter of 2022, there is an increase in suicide cases of 20%. During the months of January, February and March 2023, 55 people took their own lives, of which 46 were men and 9 women, while for the same period of time in 2022, 44 cases were registered, of which 36 They were men and 9 women.
The worrying figures of suicides in Medellín
Likewise, during the first quarter of 2023, 645 people attempted suicide, of which 437 were women and 208 were men, while for that same period of time in 2022, 635 cases were registered. The communes with the highest number of cases of suicide attempts are Manrique, Doce de Octubre, Santa Cruz and Popular.
Also: Why in Colombia do men commit suicide more than women?
Suicide and suicidal behaviors usually occur in people with bipolar disorderdepression, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, high levels of stress due to financial problems or interpersonal situations, drug or alcohol use, post-traumatic stress disorder -PTSD- and a history of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
Through the Observatory of Women, Sexual and Gender Diversities in joint work with the Observatory of the Fundamental Right to Health, the Ombudsman of Medellín announced that it will continue to be vigilant and in a position to monitor and accompany the actions of the Public Health Policy Mental of Medellin. Also, calls for the continuity of the work articulated with the district Health Secretariat and other competent entitiesto advance strategies that help prevent and reduce suicidal behavior in the city.