A total of 322 suicides were reported in the island republic in 2023 – a 32.4% drop from 2022 and the lowest such figure since 2000.It was also the first time that the number of suicides dropped across every age group, suicide prevention charity Samaritans of Singapore said in a statement yesterday.
Observers and experts say greater mental health support and spotlight on the issue could be contributing factors to the drop in numbers.
This comes after 2022’s record high of 476 cases, the highest since the Samaritans started recording suicide data in 2000.
Of the deaths by suicide in 2023, almost 69%, or 222, of the cases were male. Suicide was also the leading cause of death for young people aged between 10 and 29.
Associate Professor Daniel Fung, chief executive of the Institute of Mental Health, said: “There has been substantial work from cross-sectoral agencies, from hospitals to social service agencies, on suicide prevention.”
These include the initiatives under the Inter-agency Research Workgroup for Youth Suicides that have helped to identify at-risk individuals early and provide crisis support.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Samaritans said it cannot pinpoint the drop to any one specific reason as suicide is complex and multifaceted.
The Samaritans said the largest proportion of deaths by age was among 20- to 29-year-olds. The group made up 17.7% of all suicide deaths in 2023.
Suicide was the leading cause of death for young people aged between 10 and 29 for the fifth consecutive year, despite a 31.2% drop in numbers from 2022.
Last September, multiple individuals and organisations, led by advocacy group SG Mental Health Matters, announced that they are developing a national suicide prevention strategy to tackle the worrying issue.
The endeavour is named Project Hayat, which means “life” in Malay. It is co-led by former nominated MP Anthea Ong.
Ong said the significant decline in cases is surprising but encouraging, given what is seen and heard from community and mental health professionals on the ground.
She said the taboo on discussing suicides, though still apparent in some spaces, has reduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We must not focus on the significant drop as a ‘success’ and forget that this drop, if indeed reflective of the ground reality, merely means we are on the right track. More should be done so we can work towards a zero-suicide society,” Ong said. — The Straits Times/ANN
