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The number of people who attempted suicide during the coronavirus epidemic has multiplied, according to the preliminary results of the investigation of the Clinic for Psychiatric Diseases “Dr. Laza Lazarevic”, which is confirmed by comparative analyzes of May and July of this year and from last year. An average of 1,500 people a year die in Serbia, that is, four a day.
The director of “Laza”, Dr. Ivana Stašević Karličić, pointed out to Kurir that the investigation into the impact of the pandemic on suicide, which concerns the wider region of Belgrade, has not yet been completed.
– Preliminary results speak in favor of a multiple increase in the number of people with suicidal ideas and attempts who were treated in our clinic, during the months of May and July of this year compared to the same period in 2019, expressed in absolute numbers. A more complex statistical analysis will determine the importance of this increase, emphasized Stasevic Karlicic.
He added that the Kovid epidemic and all the circumstances surrounding it (changes in the routine of life due to measures against the epidemic, economic and political crisis, fear of disease and death, loss of loved ones, limited access to the medical care) are a high intensity stress for the entire population:
– If even after a few weeks of fighting the stressful situation, there is no adaptation, depressive symptoms develop. Depression is one of the main risk factors for suicide.
Depression: how to recognize it
- Feeling deeply sad even if you cry easily
- Loss of interest and enjoyment of favorite activities.
- Loss of libido (sex drive) and problems with sexual functioning.
- Sleep disturbance, that is, if we sleep too much or too little
- Changes in appetite and / or weight.
- Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, or worthlessness.
- Inability to concentrate or remember simple things.
- Constant feeling of weakness or loss of strength.
- Feeling of tiredness and reduced activity noted by your surroundings.
- Thoughts of suicide or death
In Serbia, he stated, 1,500 people die every year, which is four a day:
– They do not usually want to die, but to end the unbearable suffering. It is very rare for someone to commit suicide without others knowing how they feel. The most important thing is to take it seriously. We should not ignore, wonder or panic, make the problem seem trivial by saying it is nothing.
Prevention of depression: what we can do
- Talk to someone you trust
- Participate in activities you enjoyed while you were well
- Stay in touch with family and friends.
- Exercise regularly, even when it comes to short walks
- Follow your usual eating and sleeping habits
- Accept that you may suffer from depression and adjust your expectations
- Avoid or limit alcohol consumption
- If you are thinking about committing suicide, seek help immediately
- Contact “Lazi”, the team for the improvement of mental health, on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 am to 12 pm
That is why yesterday, on the International Suicide Prevention Day, this clinic organized screenings of depression and anxiety in the center of Belgrade, and the Kurir journalists approved those tests.
Help
- 0800 / 309-309 – free service of the Ministry of Health for psychosocial support during the Kovid 19 pandemic
- “Laze” emergency service, operates 24 hours
- National SOS line for suicide prevention 011 / 7777-000
The test for depression has about twenty questions, from how we feel at the moment, how we sleep, to what our sex life is like … After collecting the results, a team of psychologists and experts give you advice. Although at first there was discomfort about how it would look, after the end we realized that this is a very good way to look at the current situation and talk to experts about what is bothering us.
Warning signs
- Speaking of suicide: statements like “I wish I hadn’t been born …”
- Looking for lethal means: knives, weapons …
- Preoccupation with death: an unusual interest in death, aggression
- Hopelessness about the future: things will never get better
- Low self-esteem: feelings of guilt, shame …
- Organize things: will, parting letters, gifts
- Sorry – unexpected messages and invitations for friends and family
- Withdrawal: gradual isolation from all
- Self-destructive behavior: intentional self-harm
- Sudden calm: it can mean that a person has decided to attempt suicide.
Kurir.rs/ Kurir team photo: Shutterstock
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