Suicide & Youth in Davao Region PDF

# Suicide Attempts, Self-Esteem, Level of Happiness, and Life Satisfaction Among Youth in Davao Region ## Background - Filipinos who committed suicide in 2012 are young people. ## Findings ### Youth and Suicide in Davao Region - More and more youth in Davo are thinking of committing suicide. -...

# Suicide Attempts, Self-Esteem, Level of Happiness, and Life Satisfaction Among Youth in Davao Region ## Background - Filipinos who committed suicide in 2012 are young people. ## Findings ### Youth and Suicide in Davao Region - More and more youth in Davo are thinking of committing suicide. - Suicide ideation is increasing among Davao Region Youth. - There is a faster rate of increase in suicide attempt among youth in Davao compared to the youth at the national level. - Most of those who commit suicide do it by wrist slashing (62.2%) and hanging (22.5%). - Majority (57.5%) identify family problems as the reason for committing suicide. ## Differences in Suicide Experience - The levels of suicide ideation and attempts were significantly higher among the females relative to the males, the ever married compared with the never married, and the bisexuals relative to the lesbians/gays and heterosexuals. ## Suicide, Self-Esteem, Life Satisfaction, and Happiness - There is a significant difference between suicide experience and self-esteem and suicide and life satisfaction for females but not for males. - Female youth with no history of suicide exhibited higher self-esteem. - The female youth who have not thought of or tried suicide are most satisfied with their lives. - For both sexes, those with no history of suicide are happiest. ## Recommendations for Policy 1. Provide special focus on the mental health status of young people and understand the factors that predispose them to engage in such risky behavior. 2. A more open discussion on the issue should be encouraged in various venues like the family, school, and the church to make the public, particularly the young, better understand the causes and consequences of such behavior. 3. Strengthen school-based youth centers of the Commission on Population Region XI as well as the existing Adolescent Health and Youth Development Program to provide the youth, parents, teachers, and social workers with a venue to discuss the promotion of self-esteem and coping mechanisms to handle stress, risky behavior, and the like among the youth. 4. Build and strengthen partnerships among different agencies, development organizations, the youth, and the community could be enhanced, especially in the referral system as well as the early detection and handling of suicide cases. ## For Future Studies 1. Identify appropriate interventions to help minimize suicide attempts. 2. Identify the interventions given/received after suicide experience that would likely affect the youth's current level of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and happiness.. 3. Gather more data and develop more sensitive measures to better appreciate the true level of suicide ideation and attempts. ## General Objective Identify local features that explain the rising suicide incidence and suicide ideation in Davao Region. ## Specific Objective Examine suicide ideation and suicide attempts as determinants of self-esteem and life satisfaction among the youth from Davao Region. ## Chart 1 - Increasing level of Suicide Ideation among Davao Region Youth | Year | Ever thought of committing suicide (Both Sexes) | |----------|---------------------------------------------| | Davao 2002 | 11.2 | | Philippines 2013 | 13.4 | ## Chart 2 - Faster rate of increase in Suicide Attempt in Davao | Year | Suicide Attempt (Both Sexes) | |----------|-----------------------------| | Davao 2002 | 21.3 | | Philippines 2013 | 36.8 | ## Chart 3 - Profile of Davao Region youth according to suicide experience by selected background variables | | Male | Female | Never | Ever been | Straight/ | Lesbian/ | Bisexual | |-------------|------|--------|--------|------------|-------------|-------------|-----------| | Neither | 1.7 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 8.2 | 12.5 | 3.0 | 24 | | Thought nor tried | | | | | | | | | Tried to end life| | | | 6.3 | 9.2 | | | | Thought of suicide| | | | 12.5 | 3.1 | 0 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | ## Table 1 - Suicide experience by level of self-esteem, satisfaction and happiness. | Variable | Male | Female | Both sexes | |-----------|------|--------|------------| | Self-esteem | 18.6 | 16.8 | 17.2 | | Have ever thought of committing suicide | | | | | Self-esteem | 17.9 | 16.6 | 17 | | Have tried to end life/suicide | | | | | Self-esteem | 18.4 | 17.8 | 18.1 | | Neither thought of committing nor tried to end life | | | | | Level of satisfaction | 6.9 | 5.9 | 6.2 | | Have ever thought of committing suicide | | | | | Level of satisfaction | 6.9 | 6 | 6.3 | | Have tried to end life/suicide | | | | | Level of satisfaction | 7 | 6.9 | 6.9 | | Neither thought of committing nor tried to end life | | | | | Happiness | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | | Have ever thought of committing suicide | | | | | Happiness | 7.4 | 6.8 | 6.9 | | Have tried to end life/suicide | | | | | Happiness | 7.9 | 7.4 | 7.6 | | Neither thought of committing nor tried to end life | | | | Notes: *** p < 0.001; ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05 ## Those with Suicidal Thoughts Have Lower Self-Esteem, Lower Life Satisfaction, and are Less Happy Than Those Who Did Not Think of Ending Their Lives, Controlling for the Effect of the Other Variables. - Males have higher self-esteem and are happier than females. - Better-educated youth also had higher self-esteem and were happier relative to those with lower education. ## Suicide Attempts Demonstrated a Significant Affect on the Level of Happiness But Not on Self-Esteem and Life Satisfaction. - Males, those with higher education, the less poor, and those raised by both parents were happier relative to their counterparts.