Recently, on social media, there is a trend of bleach products being used for personal harm purposes. People are making fake designs of the product in different flavours for consumption. Many people are even advertising the use of the product for suicide purposes. This trend, rooted in stigma, makes mockery of mental health distress and a dire situation. It is extremely sad that it is happening in the week for Self-Injury/Harm Awareness. Instead of spreading awareness and educating people against self-harm, this trend is unfortunately encouraging through ridiculous skits and antics on social media. The use of chemical substances for self-harm is not new but this trend of using suicide as a prank is new and dangerous.
Several unfortunate cases of suicide deaths among young people makes this a grave situation that should be handled with seriousness. A medical student at the University of Ibadan is reported to have passed a few days ago via suicide. Last year, a dental student at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife allegedly died from suicide. Several cases have attempted suicide but were fortunately rescued and survived. We need all hands-on deck to ensure we don’t keep losing innocent and irreplaceable lives via suicide or attempted suicide. That some people can see this situation as content and skit making is appalling
Self-harm is the direct injury of one's body to relieve intense emotional distress. Studies show that approximately 17% of people will self-harm during their lifetime, with the highest percentage being adolescents and teenagers.
The World Health Organization reports that suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people, and for every death, there are many more people who attempt suicide. These facts present a dire situation and show the need for public attention to self-harm and suicide as a health crisis instead of a form of prank and social entertainment.
Self-Harm Awareness Day (SHAD) is commemorated on 1st March to raise awareness, reduce stigma and promote help-seeking around self-harm. This year's theme, Connection Is Coping: Finding Support Together, is especially important in Nigeria with recent trends on social media. It emphasizes the need for us to go beyond stigma, ridicule, pranks, and skits on self-harm to provide a community of support for ourselves as we navigate our different realities. Social media is an essential tool for connection, reducing social isolation, and public awareness on important issues.
Social media can also be used negatively to cause misinformation and distress. This is especially more grievous when it is used to share misinformation and make jokes about public health concerns that can potentially lead to loss of lives via suicide. As individuals, we have a collective responsibility to support each other, as we all struggle to cope through the ups and downs of life, and encouraging ourselves to be resilient and patient in the face of adversity.
Our Roles as Individuals in Preventing Self-harm and Suicide
- Treat emotional distress and mental illness with the sensitivity, empathy, and compassion they deserve. Instead of making jokes and pranks about sensitive issues and publicizing suicide techniques, we should educate ourselves on mental health and use our social media platforms to educate others as well.
- Foster emotional regulation and socio-emotional skills that centers resilience, community, self-regulation, and self-love.
- Developing mental health literacy for the early identification, management, and recovery of people with mental illness and/or suicidal behaviours.
- Reducing the publication of means of suicide in the media and limiting access to them.
- Responsible use of social media, especially when discussing sensitive issues like mental health.
These individual efforts need to go hand-in-hand with coordination and collaboration among all. sectors of society. Now more than ever, the National Mental Health Act of 2021 must be fully entrenched and implemented across all sectors of government, with adequate funding. The integration of mental health in primary healthcare services is also essential to bridge the gap of mental healthcare accessibility especially in crisis situations. Regulatory bodies should also be proactive in ensuring that harmful trends and actions like the current trend are immediately banned and prohibited with dire consequences for the irresponsible individuals behind such actions. Such consequences will also serve as a deterrent for future miscreants not to engage in similarly harmful behaviours, hiding behind keypads and devices on social media.
Conclusion
Suicide is not a trend! Suicide and self-harm are not subjects for pranks. They are a source of pain and despair to many and must be treated with the sensitivity and empathy for others that they require. The efforts of civil society organizations such as the Asido Foundation (www.asidofoundation.com) in promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention need to be amplified and supported. We also call on stakeholders to ensure that irresponsible behaviours are identified and that perpetrators face consequences for their actions.
