Revealed- Why Kenyan Men Are Committing Suicide?

New research on suicide among males in Kenya revealed telling findings about the causes of suicide and common trends.

514 men aged between 18 and 34 years from the Igembe Sub-counties in Meru took part in surveys by researchers from the University of Texas.

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They found that over two days, around 12% of men engaged in severe suicide ideation – they came up with a plan to end their lives and considered their own death.

Among young men with one friend who committed suicide, the percentage of those who had contemplated suicide was 17% while it stood at 34% for those with at least 2 friends who had committed suicide.

The figure was much lower for those who had never had a friend commit suicide, standing at 5 percent.

If a respondent’s family member completed suicide during the first 18 years of life, the risk for present suicidal thoughts was found to rise by 20% in the respondent’s young adulthood.

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While exploring the causes for the disturbing situation, researchers observed a link between self-esteem, loneliness and suicide.

Men who reported lower self-esteem also reported more loneliness and faced the highest risk of suicide.

The loneliness was described as pain felt when they believed they didn’t belong socially and emotionally.

While men who reported more suicide among friends and family also reported lower social self-esteem, it is worth noting that peer suicide does not affect the majority of people.

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Researchers further noted that greater resources needed to be dedicated to mental health awareness in Kenya to reduce the suicide rate.

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