'Faith in God, family bonds can reduce suicide incidents'

MANILA, Philippines - Faith in God and family bonds should be strengthened in order to reduce incidents of suicide among Filipinos, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said.

CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life vice chairman Lipa, Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said family problems and the feeling of hopelessness could trigger depression and lead people to commit suicide.

But he said faith in God and good relationship with fellow human beings are “deterrent to self-destructive tendencies.”

“We must bring God back to our society and to each person. We must strengthen the family. (There are) many government-backed policies and ideas (to) remove God and destroy this basic unit of society. The world tends to highlight self-centeredness instead of selflessness. That is why people feel alone and useless,” Arguelles said.

Meanwhile, CBCP Public Affairs Committee chairman Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez said it is also important to determine the source of depression among Filipinos.

He said Filipinos should likewise strengthen their capability to cope with depression through “adequate religious formation.”

“Counseling might also help. Hotlines and offices for counseling might be provided by the religious, government and non-government organizations,” Iniguez said.

At least one Filipino commits suicide everyday due to depression, according to a study by the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, a non-profit, non-government organization that promotes an enhanced and better understanding of depression through purposive advocacy.

The World Health Organization (WHO), however, said the Philippines has a relatively low suicide rate. A study conducted by WHO in 1993 showed that an average of 2.5 males and 1.7 females among 100,000 Filipinos commit suicide.