A student pursuing a degree in the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City attempted suicide.
This unfortunate incident is being linked to the hazing activities carried out by the Sigma Rho Fraternity in the recent past.
According to the local police, the student’s mother found him in an unconscious state never to wake up again.
University’ take on the suicide of the student
Following the news, the University administration verified the suicide news to be true.
Michael Tan – Chancellor UP Diliman while hiding the deceased’s name, forbade the police from posting the death story of the deceased on the social platforms.
He also pleaded with the staff, students, faculty and concerned parties within or outside UP Diliman to not post and disseminate the messages concerning the suicide committed by the student which happened days after the Sigma Rho Fraternity’s hazing activities came to light.
Tan requested everyone concerned to show some decency on the unfortunate matter and protect the privacy of the bereaved family going through the toughest of time.
In a spot report of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), it was revealed that a Sigma Rho Fraternity student, aged 22, committed suicide on Saturday afternoon in Marikina City.
After further investigation, more details would be revealed. Well, this didn’t happen the first time in human history where a person committed suicide out of the pressure mounted in response to the hazing activities. Serious steps should be taken to at least limit, if not eradicate, these hazing activities which are life-threatening.
Global rate of 10.7 per 100,000 population
About one person in 5,000–15,000 dies by suicide every year (1.4% of all deaths), with a reported global rate of 10.7 per 100,000 population in 2015 (was 11.6 in 2008). In Western countries, male and female rates of suicidal behaviors differ at a greater degree compared to those in the rest of the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is a global phenomenon and occurs throughout the lifespan. Governments and particularly, academic institutions could do well with effective and evidence-based interventions to be implemented at population, sub-population and individual levels to prevent suicide and suicide attempts.
What’s more frightening is that there are indications that for each adult who died by suicide there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide. College students are particularly susceptible to suicide due to peer pressure, to wit:
Young people are often away from home and friends for the first time. They’re living with strangers, far from their support systems, and working under intense pressure – with disrupted sleeping, eating and exercise patterns. You could hardly design a more stressful atmosphere, particularly when depression or other mental health issues enter the picture.
What to do to prevent similar suicide incidents
- Warning signs include academic problems, depression, mood swings, withdrawal, feelings of hopelessness, disregard for personal appearance, increased substance use, increased risk-taking and/or an obsession with death.
- Factors that can help, according to mental health counselors at Arizona State University, include: close personal relationships with friends, family, faculty or staff; resiliency skills; healthy habits, including adequate sleep, diet, and physical exercise; and readily accessible health care and counseling services.
- Every college has expanded its mental health counseling services, and suicide and depression awareness programs in recent years. Those efforts include training dormitory resident assistants – Cornell has even trained its dorm custodians – to be on the lookout for troubled students. And on many campuses, they’ve dramatically increased their stress-reduction programs to help students manage and reduce stress factors before they become unbearable.
A word to parents:
If you sense a problem is bothering your teen or college student, don’t pry or panic. Ask open-ended questions, listen carefully to their answers, their tone of voice and their willingness to share. Avoid criticism, harsh words or impatience.
