Suicide, classified as a public health problem, causes more than 700,000 people to lose their lives each year, according to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, there are indications that for each adult who dies by suicide, there may be more than 20 people who attempt suicide, the WHO warns.
The educational and healthcare fields are fundamental for managing tools with which to prevent suicide or suicide attempts. Rubén Morillas, a Lanzarote native, educational psychologist, and expert in suicide prevention, offers us the keys to understanding how to address it from various social perspectives, to know the warning signs, myths, factors that drive it, and the role of the media in its prevention.
Education, an area of great importance to start with prevention from an early age. "It is essential to promote emotional and resilience education," the Lanzarote native pointed out. Morillas has made it clear that "there are no particular tools to prevent suicides," but "they could decrease," especially through education. Techniques that would be of great help to "make people more decisive in facing the problems of everyday life," Morillas added. Including resources in school subjects to solve problems for the present and the future, which in Morillas's opinion, would be the first thing that should be implemented. "There is a need for subjects in emotional intelligence and social skills," he revealed. Promoting changes that, for Rubén Morillas, "are not of interest to the educational system." "I doubt they want to invest to carry them out," he criticized, focusing on the lack of education to learn how to manage our emotions.
At a social level, suicide is still a taboo subject at times. This is how Rubén defines it, "we live in a society that is uncomfortable hearing that we have had a bad day," he stated. Socially, we respond to the problems of others in a superficial way. For the pedagogue, we tend to "downplay" the issues of the people around us and we fail to offer optimal attention. "We are not always able to give an adequate response to someone who tells us about a problem," he revealed. With the use of phrases like 'tomorrow will be another day', 'it's not that bad', etc. we cause "to diminish the importance" of what the other person is feeling, even if we do not do it intentionally, he pointed out. Therefore, it is necessary that "our support group has tools to listen to us," he specified.
In the opinion of the prevention expert, "we need to be a more compassionate and supportive society," to recognize that the problem of others is "important" and "should interest us," something that usually "does not happen." "We are very individualistic and we think that our problem is always going to be bigger than that of others," he added.
In the healthcare field, it is essential that health professionals also be trained in suicide prevention. What Rubén emphasizes as fundamental is "to have protocols and more psychologists" to offer help to each person who comes with a critical situation. "You go to the emergency room and there is no specific protocol to attend to a case of attempted suicide," he clarified. A way to improve medical care, which would discourage the search for help, with which the population would have safe spaces to be able to tell their difficulties. Another of the problems he highlights as "very important" is the lack of prevention action in campaigns, for example, promoted by the Government. "I still don't see campaigns at the national level, despite the fact that there is a record in suicides," he commented.
We must also not forget the power of pedagogy in suicide prevention. As Rubén has clarified, "we must educate through the pedagogy of suicide, that people know what it is, what to do and how to help," he pointed out. In addition, it can serve as a tool to "help educate health professionals and professionals in contact with suicidal patients."
Since the pandemic, mental health has become enormously visible among the Spanish population. "Now mental health is on the lips of almost everyone," he stated. Cases of mental disorders such as anxiety or depression are increasingly making the population aware of the need to ask for help. Something that still does not happen with suicide, since it is not talked about so naturally. "Until we can talk about it in the same way also in the case of suicide, we will not be able to end the stigma," he revealed. "We must normalize honest conversations about these cases," just as we do with traffic accidents, gender violence, etc, he explained.
To detect the warning signs of suicide risk in someone close, Morillas has pointed out, it is necessary to pay attention to the behavior and the words that the person uses. For example, changes in behavior, talking about the desire to die, social isolation, etc., among many others. "When someone close to you tells you that they are not sleeping properly, that they are not feeling well... it is time to ask them, what's wrong?" he stressed. After the confession, it is essential to "accompany and support them to seek help," he added.
We know that "whoever says it may not do it, or may do it," he assured. Therefore, we must be attentive to the signs of others. "If they say it and they are not paid attention and they commit suicide, the grief and guilt will torment" the people around them, he clarified. Prevention also begins by "taking seriously and paying attention to the behaviors of others," he stressed. "In most cases, family members usually say, they were strange, they gave away their pet, they sold the car..."
The frequent myths that make us act in the wrong way in the face of suicide prevention are diverse, as a clear example is the expression 'Whoever expresses it, does not do it'. A way of not taking the words of the other person seriously. The myths are given in many occasions by the diverse ways in which we speak in our daily life. Rubén has recognized that "we use incorrect phrases such as: 'I want to die', in an incorrect context. "It is important that we start using expressions responsibly" in order to "be able to identify real cases of suicide," he defined.
Another of the notable myths is that 'When suicide is talked about, it is encouraged'. "Totally false," he assured. In that way, "there would be no taboo or stigma, and patients would not feel judged," he acknowledged. "We must address the issues with the same seriousness and openness with which many others are treated."
Suicide can be prevented in various ways during the three stages of life. In the stage of youth and adolescence, "coping skills in the face of problems, educational programs, learning to manage stress and seeking help" must be given, among others, Morillas highlighted. "It is crucial to advocate the problems of social isolation and bullying," with the "great importance" of influencing the peer group of each person. "Raise awareness among young people of the reality that can happen when a classmate is harassed" and the consequences such as suicide.
With regard to the adult stage, it is necessary to offer "tools to face work and financial stress and to be able to deal with the difficulties of personal relationships, with work and couple support programs," he remarked. In ages from 60 years onwards, the most important due to the "highest peaks of suicides", it is essential to "give solid emotional support, and integrate specific programs for their needs, home care", all this, to also address the loneliness faced by older people.
The suicide behavior attention line is 024.
