Rapid rise in suicides in Poland

From: The News
Last year saw a record number of suicides in Poland.

A total of 4,839 men tried to kill themselves, 3,739 succeeded. Women are less prone to take their own life than men. Last year, 645 of them committed suicide.

The suicide rate is highest among the unemployed, people with a drinking problem or mental disorders and victims of violence at home, police statistics show. Specialists are worried by a rise in suicides among children. Last year, 26 kids below 15 years of age committed suicide, compared with nineteen in 2008.

There is no comprehensive suicide prevention program in place in Poland. “People in a crisis situation have little chance of getting professional help. Suicides can be prevented, the snag is they are still regarded as a taboo,” says Professor Brunon Holyst, President of the Polish Suicide Study Society.

“People who think of ending it all tend to look for help on the web. There, they come across pages with instructions on how to commit suicide faster than they find professional advice,” says Holyst.