Need for peer support among young people to prevent suicides

It is a saddening reality that cases of suicide are becoming increasingly common, especially among young people. Many feel overwhelmed by the trials and struggles of life, work, debts, and other pressures and end up taking their own lives. This is a serious problem that requires urgent attention and meaningful solutions.

According to statistics, about 700,000 people die by suicide every year worldwide (Health Policy Watch, 2024), with many more attempting it. This number has been on the rise over the years, with about 50 per cent of these cases being linked to different mental health conditions. Most people live with serious mental health problems without being aware of them, and over time, their conditions worsen, sometimes leading to self-harm or suicide.

Although Africa records some of the lowest global suicide rates, this does not make it any less serious because human lives are at stake.

We must acknowledge that people are built and shaped differently and, as such, have varying capacities when it comes to handling pressure and stressful situations. What may be a non-issue for one person can be a serious problem for another, potentially leading to anxiety, a diminished sense of self-worth, or even hopelessness.

It is high time young people joined hands to support one another. In many cases, fellow youth are better able to understand and relate to each other’s pain and struggles. There is a kind of generational disconnect in how we view life. Each generation tends to operate within its own, more or less shared, worldview. This means we are often better positioned to help one another in difficult moments that can lead someone to feel hopeless or give up on life.

Nonetheless, many young people do not have the skills or emotional intelligence to detect when another is meditating on the extremes or when they direly need mental health support or even psycho-spiritual accompaniment.

We need to learn to recognise the pain in others, especially through what they say to us. Conversations often reveal deep-seated thoughts and emotional struggles. Behind jokes, beautiful pictures, social gatherings, hobbies, and shared fun, there is often hidden struggle and vulnerability.

In many African settings, people often hesitate to acknowledge mental health problems, which makes timely help difficult to access. We tend to hide struggles we don’t understand, convincing ourselves they’re normal and will simply go away. Many of us feel ashamed of seeking counselling, of being heard, or of expressing the deep-seated troubles within us. But this is not how life works! There are situations where we need help as a matter of indispensable necessity and urgency.

Our country has a predominantly young population, with about 76 per cent under the age of 35. This makes any issue affecting young people a matter of serious concern. Many of the pressures they face are shared, such as cultural expectations to take on adult responsibilities like marriage, building a home, and more, often at an early age, just as was expected of previous generations.

Young men and women find themselves in a dilemma, as there is so much expected of them yet with little systemic assistance to attain those. There is also pressure from peer competition, where one feels they are falling far behind their peers, leading to hopelessness and disappointment in oneself.

Many also try to catch up with the lives they see online, which in most cases are far from reality on the ground. All these pressures can build up and become overwhelming.

We can begin to address them by encouraging one another to take life one day at a time. Each of us is different and destined for a unique path. We are not required to succeed in the same way as others or to have what others have. This is a message that needs to be shared with young people from an early age.

On the other hand, we need to seek effective solutions to our problems and, when necessary, seek guidance from elders or those with more life experience. Our world now moves at a much faster pace, especially due to the convenience brought by communication technology.

Many serious challenges today are directly linked to how communication technology is used and what is shared through it, creating entirely new contexts for stress and pressure.

Peer support must go beyond outings and parties. It needs to be more meaningful and life-giving so that peer groups in schools, workplaces, and neighbourhoods become safe spaces for open conversations about life’s struggles.

These include issues around survival, work, relationships, and finances, as these are some of the most common challenges that have led to suicides among young people.

It is time for young people to stand together as pillars of support and strength, because everyone is vulnerable to extreme, traumatic, and life-threatening pressures.

Shimbo Pastory is an advocate for positive social transformation. He is a student of theology at the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. Website: www.shimbopastory.com