Before 15-year-old *Kutlo killed herself, there was no warning, says her mother. The cheerful child who loved Art and athletics was showing her parents her artistic work the night before she took her own life. Her mother says *Kutlo did not seem unhappy or reserved; she excelled in her school work and made friends easily.
Her father could not imagine that a 15-year-old could even consider taking her own life. “I will never be able to make sense of this whole situation,” says the 59 year old father, who was living in Lobatse at the time of her death in May 2022.
In a worrying sign that more Batswana youth are struggling with depression and anxiety, there is growing evidence that there is a substantial upsurge in the number of teenagers and school-age children thinking of committing suicide or actually taking their own lives. It is believed that more than 5% of Batswana are recorded to have mental illness problems. Families as well as the youth are believed to be under more stress due to unemployment, financial stress, excessive alcohol and drug abuse amongst many other issues.
Across Botswana, stories of teen suicide have become a common feature especially on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Nationally, rates of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and self-harm have more than doubled, up from less than 0.5 percent in 2008 to 1.7 percent in 2018. The Covid-19 pandemic is also believed to have played a part in heightening the people’s suffering leaving Batswana in despair, with an increasing amount of teens resorting to suicide as a last resort. Families as well as the youth are believed to be under more stress due to unemployment, job insecurity, financial stress, among other issues.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Thabang Kgosi who dedicates most of his time raising awareness of mental health said investing in mental health is the most viable investment Botswana can make now. “New data upends a long-held belief that children who haven’t reached adolescence yet don’t think about taking their own lives, or if they do, that those thoughts are transient,” says Kgosi, adding that Botswana must learn the early warning signs of diminished mental health and the steps needed to protect its citizens.
With a suicide mortality rate of 16.1 per 100, 000 population, Botswana ranks third in southern Africa in terms of suicide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) data published in 2020, also notes that the adjusted death rate is 20.22 per 100,000 of population. However there is a marked gender split for suicide in Botswana. Whilst research shows that women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and to attempt suicide in most countries around the world, the male suicide rate is still several times higher than for females in Botswana. The World Population Review states that the male suicide rate in Botswana is 26.3 while the female rate is 6.4 and the country has one of the highest suicide rates in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, according to World Population Review.
A mental health clinicians who specialises in child psychiatry highlighted that depression is usually associated with suicidal thoughts in teenagers who are older and adults. She also says rising suicide cases might be a result of exposure to violence in the home as well as social media which influences behaviour among young children. “Suicide by teenagers can lead other vulnerable teenagers to take their own lives, in what researchers call suicide contagion,” says Dr. Bontle Motsumi.
Globally, WHO notes that suicide ranks as the second leading cause of death among people aged between 15 to 29 years and mainly occurs in low and middle income countries. Almost 800,000 people are believed to commit suicide every year in the world. WHO says this is why suicide prevention features in one of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 3: that is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Data also shows that almost 40 percent of countries in the world have more than 15 suicide deaths per 100, 000 men and only 1.6% show a rate that high for women.
“Although some countries have placed suicide prevention high on their agendas, too many countries remain uncommitted. Currently only 38 countries are known to have a national suicide prevention strategy. A significant acceleration in the reduction of suicides is needed to meet the SDG target of a one-third reduction in the global suicide rate by 2030,” says WHO.
A commentator who spoke to this publication indicated that low levels of parental monitoring are connected to suicidal thoughts and attempts. “Parents must normalise discussing issues such as unhappiness and frustration with their children. Assure them that your love for them is unconditional,” says Ronald Dintle.
He also says there is need for a wide-ranging, equitable programs in schools to promote mental health, support students in crisis, and help prevent student suicides. “Such a plan should take into account mental health evaluation, planning, programming, and suicide prevention strategies in our schools. There must also be training programs for students and school teachers to respond effectively to mental health challenges, and conduct mental health screenings,” he says.
How to get help. For immediate help if you are in a crisis, call the Botswana Suicide Hotline: 3911270. All calls are confidential.
