As the shock from the family suicide/murder in Oulu three weeks ago still resonates, the country is shocked to read about more family killings within a space of one week in other parts of Finland. A middle aged man shot his wife and then killed himself in Herttoniemi in Helsinki and another couple committed suicide in Porvoo. While motives are still being sought, since none of them left suicide notes, the police have tried to assure the nation that these are random acts and are not driven by the recent economic problems. According to released figures, there is usually an average of seven incidents of family murder/suicide in a year in Finland since the 1950s regardless of economic situation. Hopefully the recent trends will stop, if not, that figure may be exceeded this year.
The USA has been the country most affected initially by the recent economic troubles and health officials are on alert because they have witnessed an increasing number of suicides as a result of the financial crisis, especially since September. A financial manager who was recently laid off and lost a fortune in the stock market killed his entire family (wife and 5 kids) in a murder/suicide, an elderly widow shot herself when she was about to be evicted from her house as a result of mortgage default, a housewife whose family was about to be evicted from their house because of mortgage default left a note for the mortgage company "by the time you foreclose on my house, I’ll be dead" and truly she shot herself. The list goes on. And it is not only in the USA. A few incidents have been reported in the United Kingdom in the last 2 months. Most memorable was a man who shot his wife, their daughter, 3 horses and dogs and then set their £1.2 million house on fire because of mounting debts.
As the financial crisis worsens, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a surge in the rate of mental illness and suicide because of the physical, emotional and mental stress involved when people lose their homes and livelihood. But does the buck stop with the financial crisis? Opinions on this differ. Studies in Europe reveal little annual change in suicide rates despite different economic changes between 1989 and 2002 but a different picture may emerge if the suicide rates in the various countries are analyzed separately especially in the Baltic countries. In Japan, however, the financial crisis of 1998 resulted in a 40% increase in suicide rates and the country is preparing for an increase in suicide rates with the present crisis.
Suicide is a maladaptive way of coping with stress and many things may initiate stress; right now, it is the financial crisis. The underlying factor may be a lack of care for people who really need help in time of need such as in the present financial crisis. Mental illnesses, especially depression are the main precipitants of suicide or suicidal ideas and according to the WHO, presently, depression is responsible for the highest burden of diseases in industrialized countries.
Also, in the European Union, 58,000 people commit suicide every year and dying from suicide accounts for second highest risk of death among young men. The present economic problems may precipitate suicidal thoughts among vulnerable people by causing chronic anxiety, panic and a feeling of helplessness. Especially among people who already suffer from depression, these feelings may be too much to handle and they may seek suicide as an easier alternative to living.
Unfortunately, in many societies, mental illnesses, including depression are still stigmatized and most people live with the disease without being diagnosed and put on treatment, hence, becoming more vulnerable during this period.
In America, the present crisis has increased the number of calls made to mental health hot-lines with most of them jammed at the moment; demand for counseling services has increased and calls to suicide prevention hot lines has increased by up to 20% in the last couple of months. Right now, people need help on how to deal with the present financial crisis and impending financial doom. Help in the form of counseling, help in the form of getting treatment to those who need it before they succumb to the idea of ending it all, help by health care workers in identifying people with depression and other mental health problems who may be more vulnerable and finally, help from family and friends in dealing with the emotional trauma.
