Lifeline Fiji: 60% Of Fijian Suicides Are Youths
Sixty per cent of Fijians who successfully committed suicide are youths.
The alarming statistic was revealed by Lifeline Fiji Team Leader, Jeremaia Merekula, yesterday at the first ever Equalizer Training for 25 youths from 15 Red Zone Areas in the Central Division.
Mr Merekula said they decided to host the training programme after noting an increased number of calls to their Crisis Support Line from youths.
The idea was to train and upskill the youths who live in red zone areas where Lifeline Fiji has received a lot of calls to deal with those who were going through a crisis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Merekula said there had been a spike in the number of attempted suicide cases and crimes and also a spike in the number of calls.
In recent months, Lifeline Fiji had received an average of 300 calls per month, which is double the number of calls they would normally receive in a month.
“One of the things that we see is that it’s not about the problem. We’re seeing that Fijians are starting to reach out for help, take care of their mental health and also know that there are help available,” Mr Merekula said.
He also added that 40 per cent of the calls they receive were suicide-related.
Similar workshops are expected to be held in the Northern and Western Divisions.
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