Suicide: What is ailing Kenya’s young people?

Dr Catherine Syengo Mutisya, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Deputy Medical Superintendent at Mathari Hospital, Nairobi in a session. PHOTO: BRIGID CHEMWENO

NAIROBI: When a ten-year-old pupil at DEB Karatina Primary School in Nyeri County, committed suicide recently by hanging himself over homework, the populace reeled in shock with one question on their minds; what prompted a minor to commit the unthinkable?

It is alleged the boy quarrelled with his mother over homework before he excused himself, went and picked a rope from their house and hanged himself on an avocado tree planted outside their home.

Prior to the tragic incident, it is reported that the Standard Five pupil had informed his classmates that he would hang himself and that he would be found dead one day.

A similar case was witnessed in TransMara last year when a 12-year-old committed suicide after differing with his parents who had insisted he goes back to school against his wish.

The parents reportedly said their son was hesitant to go back to school after he was told to repeat the same class (Standard One). His parents had moved him to a new school since he performed poorly at his previous one.

His mother was quoted saying the boy had repeated Standard One for three consecutive years and might have felt embarrassed for repeating.

She said the boy had said he did not want to continue learning. He left their house in the afternoon but did not return until his parents received the sad news that he had killed himself.

Suicide appears to be an emerging trend in Kenya where young people take their lives leaving their families in a state of devastation.

A study on suicidal behaviour conducted in 2013 by the department of psychiatry at the University of Nairobi, together with the Africa Mental Health Foundation, Kenya, cites suicidal behaviour as a worldwide problem and an increasing source of concern.

“Disconnectedness between a child and a parent leads to confusion, conflict and frustration in a growing child, and is a precursor for a youth/child to develop psychopathology and suicidal behaviour,” the study says.

The research further states that the youth resort to suicidal behaviour as a means to externalise their problems, which is a reflection of increased risk associated with disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders.

“The results also indicate that the presence of multiple disorders is associated with an increased risk for suicidal behaviour. This indicates that the increasing presence of psychiatric disorders increases the number of psychiatric symptoms and odds of suicidal behaviour,” says the study.

In July last year, Kenyatta National Hospital reported about 100 cases of attempted suicide among young adults aged between 18 and 25 in a span of two months.

Catherine Syengo Mutisya, a consultant psychiatrist and the deputy medical superintendent at Mathari Hospital, has counselled young people who have attempted suicide.

“I have counselled some young people who have tried to commit suicide and the reasons they gave were relationship problems, dissatisfaction with school performance, depression, sexual abuse and stress,” she says.

Her remarks were backed by Winnie Kitetu a clinical psychologist and consultant at the Nairobi Parenting Clinic.

She says: “Most youth cited guilt and regret about a blunder they made, while for others its being misunderstood by their parents.

During adolescence, a stage where they are likely to make grave mistakes, some parents’ team up to discipline the child, condemn and even curse them. Their actions and strict parenting generally is what leads to adolescent suicidal attempts.”

Dr Mutisya warns that parents should be on the lookout for unusual behaviour in their children like mood changes that last for a couple of weeks, inability to concentrate, dramatic changes in personal appearance and loss of interest in previously enjoyed hobbies.

Other suicidal warnings Mutisya pointed out are feelings of hopelessness or excessive guilt, self-destructive behaviour such as risky sports, increased drug and alcohol abuse, infliction of pain on self, saying good-bye at inappropriate times, whether directly or indirectly, preoccupation with death, sharing of one’s property and having a suicidal plan such as buying rat poison.

Dr Kitetu notes that girls will, most of the time, lock themselves up in their rooms and not talk much.

When young people withdraw from people, friends and family, it is a warning that all is not well. Other red flags include crying a lot, sleeping less or too much, eating less or too much, anger outbursts and arguments over very small issues and repeatedly swearing that one day they shall commit suicide.

The doctors advise parents who suspect that their children are suicidal to take them to a mental health specialist, psychologist or psychiatrist for psychotherapy.

“Suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts) is a psychiatric emergency, which necessitates admission to hospital. If a parent suspects suicide let them take the child to a psychiatrist or to the nearest doctor,” Mutisya says.

Kitetu notes that suicide among youths is on the increase in the country because parents are too busy and youth are left without proper mentorship.

She explains: “Parents travel all over the world to make money and leave their children with the house help from an early age. Such children do not benefit from proper parenting structures, which makes them grow without self-confidence and endurance capacity.

More boys than girls commit suicide. This is because girls share their problems easily whereas boys are socialised from early childhood to be a man, tough and hard. The girl-child campaign has also helped and empowered the girl while the boy-child has been left behind to struggle with his issues alone.”

Mutisya noted that while women attempt suicide more often, men who do the same rarely fail.

A study of co-occurring suicidal and psychotic symptoms in inpatients at Mathari Hospital in Nairobi reveals that 44.6 per cent of the patients had suicidal symptoms.

In 2003, the World Health Organisation sponsored a global school-based survey that investigated, among other health issues, the level of suicide ideation among pupils aged 13-15 years.

The study revealed appreciably high levels of suicide ideation. For instance in Kenya, 38.6 per cent of pupils at the Coast and 27.4 per cent from Central Kenya affirmed that they had seriously contemplated committing suicide.

“In psychiatry, we treat a lot of suicidal patients who attempted to kill themselves and failed. We are still losing patients through suicide and because it is considered a taboo subject, families who loose their loved ones in this way will not disclose how they died.

The families are therefore more affected because as they deal with the loss they are also trying to conceal the cause. Such families need a lot of support,” Mutisya says.