Marshalls suicides

on the increase

Suicides by young people in the Marshall Islands are at their high est level since 1980.

The rise following an overall downturn in recent years has sparked widespread commun ity concern in the Marshalls.

More than 50 people partici pated in a special suicide in tervention and prevention train ing workshop in late May in Majuro, which was organised to focus community response to the growing suicide problem.

The youth suicides, attri buted primarily to breakdown in traditional family social struc tures and pressures of wes ternisation in these islands, are occurring most heavily in the outer lying atolls in the Mar shalls. Of the seven already in 1987, five were committed out side of the main centres.

Although the numbers are small, so is the Marshall Islands population of 37,000 the suicide rate for young males is one of the highest in the world.

If the current rate continues, it will exceed the highs of 11

suicides set in both 1978 and 1980. An overall decline fol lowed 1980, with just six during the two year period 1984-85.

The large attendance at the May suicide prevention prog ram demonstrated community interest in taking action to meet the growing crisis, said Glorina Harris, Majuro Mental Health program co-ordinator.

Although other programs aimed at stimulating commun ity involvement have been held, Harris said: “It was the first where I saw so much response and sharing by the participants.”

The participants supported sending suicide prevention teams to the outer islands to train women’s and youth groups in ways to intervene and forestall suicides, said Harris. In addition, as a result of the training, Mental Health will propose to the Nitijela (parlia ment) that it raise the drinking age from 18 to 21.

Coupling this law with en forcement of drinking regula tions is crucial because most

suicides occur after young males have been drinking, said Harris. The majority of suicides in the Marshalls are committed by men between the ages of 15 and 26. Only two women have committed suicide since the start of record keeping in 1935, in comparison to 101 men, almost all of which have occur red since 1970. One of the suicides this year, however, was a young woman.

Representatives attending the suicide program repre sented churches, high schools, various government ministries including police, and women’s groups. In addition to programs aimed at outer islands, the group is urging the Nitijela to focus more attention on youth with two primary goals: provide more jobs for young people and establish recreation centres in heavily populated areas in the urban centres.

Youth suicide has been a problem common to most is lands in Micronesia in the last two decades, but until recently the response was limited to research. The response to the suicide prevention program in Majuro is indictive of initiatives to intervene and act on the problem in the Marshall Islands.

Giff Johnson.