Suicide in Kazakhstan is a very common cause of unnatural death in the country and a long term social issue. According to the 2011 report of World Health Organization, of all the people reported dead due to suicide worldwide every year, 3.23% belong to Kazakhstan.[1] Suicide of teenaged and young aged people is a big issue in the country.[2] In the age group of 15-49 year olds, suicide makes up for 12.2% of all deaths in Kazakhstan.[3]
Statistics
The country has highest number of recorded suicides among girls aged 15 to 19, and for boys, it is the second highest after Russia. A UNICEF report of 2009 shows, between 1999 and 2008 the number of suicides among young people of the country increased by 23%.[2]
According to Raisa Sher, head of the country's education ministry's child protection committee, there are several factors behind such high rates of suicide among people of a young age, such as:[2]
- School bullying
- Absence or loss of values
- Falling standards of social behavior
- Alienation
| Number of suicides by age group, Kazakhstan, 2008 & 2015 comparison
|
| Age (years)
|
5-14
|
15-24
|
25-34
|
35-54
|
55-74
|
75+
|
All
|
| 2008
|
85
|
896
|
1012
|
1395
|
476
|
133
|
4009
|
| 2015
|
43
|
439
|
711
|
1137
|
428
|
114
|
2872
|
| Change
|
-49.4%
|
-51.0%
|
-29.7%
|
-18.5%
|
-10.1%
|
-14.3%
|
-28.4%
|
Source: World Health Organization [4][5]
|
| Number of suicides by age group and gender. Kazakhstan, 2008
|
| Age (years) |
5–14 |
15–24 |
25–34 |
35–44 |
45–54 |
55–64 |
65–74 |
75+ |
All
|
| Males
|
66 |
657 |
860 |
656 |
522 |
240 |
143 |
86 |
3241
|
| Females
|
19 |
239 |
152 |
120 |
97 |
52 |
41 |
47 |
768
|
| Total
|
85 |
896 |
1012 |
776 |
619 |
292 |
184 |
133 |
4009
|
Source: World Health Organization [5]
|
Youth suicide
According to UNICEF and World Health Organization data, Kazakhstan has the highest suicide level among people aged 15 to 19 in the world.[6] Kazakhstan was 2nd worldwide for suicide among teenage boys, and 1st among suicide for teenage girls.
According to a UNICEF study conducted in five Kazakhstani cities with 1700 teenagers, social issues, family problems and a lack of support were among the main reasons for teenage suicide. According to the study, Kazakhstani parents spend only 20 minutes of 'quality time' with their children a day.[7]
References
