Historically high suicide rates cause alarm in Argentina

The news outlet New Straits Times reports on a growing concern over historically high suicide rates in Argentina, which have reached alarming levels among young people aged 15 to 34. According to data from the Criminal Policy Observatory and the Security Ministry, suicide is now the leading cause of death for this age group, with a rate of 11.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

This figure is lower than in neighboring Uruguay, where the rate is 19.16 per 100,000 inhabitants, but recent data shows a significant increase in suicide rates, with a 57.6% rise since 2017 and a 22.6% increase since the previous year. The surge in suicides has prompted protests in Buenos Aires, where relatives of suicide victims and mental health advocates have called for increased awareness and action to address the issue.

Graciela Salazar, whose daughter took her own life in 2023, emphasized the importance of talking about suicide as a means of prevention, while Ariana Villarreal, whose brother died by suicide 11 years ago, highlighted the need to acknowledge the historical debt in addressing mental health in Argentina. The Argentine Association of Mental Health echoed these concerns, stressing that suicide is a complex phenomenon influenced by various social, economic, and professional factors such as job losses, insecurity, and debt.

The organization called for urgent public policies to address the underlying problems and prevent suicides.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.