At least 101 university #students allegedly committed #suicide in 2021 according to a report of volunteer organisation Aachol Foundation.
The #students are from 59 universities and Dhaka University topped in the list with at least nine cases of #suicide.
Aachol Foundation published its report on suicides in 2021 in an online discussion on Saturday.
The report was made public amid concerns of #mentalhealthexperts who have been alerting since the beginning of #Covid?19 that the #pandemic may complicate the #mentalhealthproblems of the people of all ages, especially the #youths.
The foundation in its report said that 60 of the victims were aged between 22 to 25 years.
#Students of bachelor’s third and fourth years were the most vulnerable among the group, added the foundation report titled ‘The Shocking Upsurge in Suicide Cases among University Students: The Liability of Stakeholders.’
The report was prepared collecting information from 50 national and local daily newspapers from January to December 2021, said Aachol Foundation officials at the programme.
Speakers at the discussion said that there should be concerted efforts to tackle social, financial and family problems and love affair-related complications that were presumably fuelling the tendency to commit #suicide.
Aachol Foundation president Tansen Rose said that the staggering rise in #suicide cases was very alarming.
He said that among the #suicide victims, nine were of Dhaka University, six each of Jagannath University and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, 12 of medical colleges and 23 of various private universities.
The rest were from various colleges and universities across the nation.
A total of 65 #male #students committed #suicide, accounting for 64.36 per cent of the total victims.
In the case of #female #students, however, the figure was 35.64 per cent.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:
From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Dhaka University clinical psychology department professor Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury at the programme said that #suicide caused havoc on many families silently during the #Covid #pandemic.
He said, ‘It is difficult to eliminate the menace entirely, but can be reduced with proper actions.’
‘We are less concerned about a large number of #suicide cases. Since we are not aware of #mentalhealth, the number of #suicide cases may rise in future,’ he said.
National Institute of #MentalHealth and Hospital associate professor Helal Uddin Ahmed said that it was not a conclusive report, but it was certainly a good initiative that provided analytical perspective.
He said that #Covid #pandemic had contributed massively to #mentalcrisis and #anxiety resulting from financial hardships and the fear about the disease.
He said that #patients who visited them for treatment are mostly suffering from #mentalcrisis triggered by #Covid?related difficulties.
Tansen said that increased social, financial, and family pressures during the #pandemic were a major regulator of male student #suicide cases.
Relationship problems caused havoc on #students and led to psychological deterioration as the highest 24.75 per cent of the 101 victims committed #suicide due to troubled relationship, the report showed.
About 19.80 per cent committed #suicide due to family problems, about 15.84 per cent for mental dissatisfaction, about 10.89 per cent for academic reasons and about 4.95 per cent due to financial difficulties.
Drug addiction also contributed to about 2 per cent of the cases.
‘This is an alarming issue that must be addressed immediately because it represents the deterioration of the youth’s #mentalhealth and how many lives have withered away due to the absence of widespread #mentalhealthservices,’ said Professor Kamal.
A study of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic also found 70 per cent more deaths from #suicide from #Covid-19 in 2021 than from the first year of the #coronavirus #pandemic.
Director General of Health Services, in February 2021, showed that 5,200 people died from #Covid infections, while BBS statistics said that 11,000 people reportedly killed themselves in the same period across the country.
According to the BBS, about 10,000 people killed themselves in 2019 and the figure was 11,259 in 2020 while Aachol Foundation recorded 14,436 deaths in #suicide between March 2020 and March 2021.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
